Curses
by Souptastick
Summary: A strong hand grabbed her arm, pulling her out of a cold, wetness that surrounded her. Her head was pounding; her body ached. She heard someone mumbling next to her, and she attempted to open her eyes, immediately squinting from the brightness. A blue glow appeared, and she found herself able to open them with much more ease. The first thing she saw was horns.
1. Chapter 1

This is a story I'm writing as an attempt to break through the writer's block I occasionally get with others. The length of it keeps growing, so I decided to post it. Comments are always welcome. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"Come, I'd like to show you something."

Curiosity beckoned her to follow the stranger, past the faceless inhabitants of the outdoor gathering she found herself at. They weaved their way through decrepit ruins of an ancient elvish civilization, once grand and glorious. A low, silver moonlight blanketed the strange flora, the environment portraying an ethereal feel. Large trees surrounded them, giving her the sense of being but a mere ant among giants.

He stopped in a small clearing. The voices and laughter of the party, suddenly, silenced. His face changed, showing her a menacing, viscous grin. His body convulsed, and he fell on all fours, screaming in pain, grabbing the sides of his head with his hands.

The environment changed. The flora began to die, leaving nothing but wilted and dead carcasses. The bark of the great trees withered, fading to an almost gray color. Sickly, long vines stretched downwards, giving the once beautiful grove an ominous and frightening feel.

She watched as his skin began to split open, with new tissue and bone snapping into place. Gray fur began to seep through the tattered rips in his skin.

It was… _him_.

* * *

She woke up after rolling off her bed and crashing onto the cabin floor. It was rough seas again. The Captain opened the door, snarling at her sprawled out, disorientated form.

"Buckle up, rough weather ahead. If you're feeling useful, come up to the deck and help strap down the goods. If your luggage falls over, it's not our problem."

He slammed the door. She heard the same thing being repeated to Martyn next door...and, apparently, someone else.

"Damnit man! The ship is flopping about like a fish on dry land, and all you can think of is _that_?!" She heard a growl, then the patter of feet disappearing.

The image of her companion flashed in her mind. Her wild and vivid dreams would rotate between the random men she had met on this planet. Last night's choice was Martyn.

She shivered, her face portraying a disgusted look. Her mind could be cruel and sick, no doubt. While Martyn was an attractive man, his personality simply did not mesh well with hers; he was an elitist asshole. They were associates, no more. Plus, he slept with a lot of women…human, elf…goat, it didn't matter.

She untangled herself from the sheets and grabbed her boots, stumbling against the wall as the waves knocked the ship about. A few minutes later she fell out of her room, hanging onto the door handle, as she swung to the left, struggling to keep balance.

She glanced to Martyn's door; it was shut and a loud moan erupted from the other side. She rolled her eyes, and pulled herself onward, tying her cloak closer as she tripped her way up the stairs.

Rain blasted her in the face, and the wind almost knocked her back down the steps. She grabbed onto a rope that was secured to the deck, pulling herself along. A few of the crew could be seen ahead, moving about in the same fashion. She tied the rope around her waist; no sense in falling off the deck and to an early grave.

A few lanterns swung about, spreading distorted light across the wet, wooden planks. It was pitch black, and she stumbled over various items, all of which were sliding across the deck like an air hockey table. When she would come across a moving object, she would snare it and try to find rope nearby to secure it to the railing…anything.

She concluded that her luggage was, more than likely, making its way down into the black depths of the strange ocean. Perhaps some Naga would take an interest in her underwear? The thought made her laugh out loud, as she envisioned a myrmidon wearing lacy pink panties.

"Something humorous, human?"

He was nearly shouting and growling at her at the same time. The dog had a personality akin to an ice cube. Her nose wrinkled when she recognized the same gray fur that had presented itself in her dream. He definitely _looked_ like a werewolf; it was only natural for her unconscious mind to imagine the rest.

"Yeah…your mother."

A large wave swept over the deck and she lost her footing, sliding back and fortunately jerking to a stop, thanks to the rope around her waist. She hefted herself up, a little shaky from the near dive into the blackness below. She felt a large claw wrap around her wrist and pull her forward. Looking up, she saw matted, soaked fur. A mouth full of large canines hovered above her head.

"Be careful. I'll lose most of my payment if I show up to Stormwind without you."

She shielded her face, narrowing her eyes on him. "Yes, we can't have that, can we? How else will you afford your flea shampoo?"

He snarled, tightening his grip on her. Another wave hit the deck, and she felt him let go, as he lost balance, falling backwards. He had been foolish enough to move about the deck, unbound to anything stationary, and began to slide across the slick surface, towards the edge. She skidded across the wooden planks, feeling splinters embed themselves into whatever skin was bare. Her hands latched onto his waist band, and she thrusted her arms around his hips, holding on as tight as she could.

He was an asshole, but he was also the one responsible for getting her to her destination, and more importantly, away from Martyn.

The boat was on a sharp incline. Her muscles were beginning to burn, and she started to breath heavy, groaning a bit. As the boat leveled itself, she felt his hands grab onto her torso and he pulled himself back up. She lied there, trying to recover her breath, her palms aching from the splinters, watching the scenery rotate over ninety degrees from the boat's continuous rocking. He stepped over her, growling, as he continued to the other side of the deck.

She laughed. "You're welcome, prick…"

* * *

She was in her tiny cabin room, sitting with her legs crossed on the bed. In her hand was a rustic and primitive form of tweezers. In front of her was the bloody remnants of slivers of wood.

She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to gear herself for some more sharp pain. Martyn was a "mage", and she had a feeling he could magically get rid of this, but he was preoccupied on the deck above her head. One of his bags had fallen off the ship, and he was threatening to "bring the entire shipping company down".

It was his bag full of love potions and cologne. She snorted.

A knock sounded on her door in the middle of her attempt to pull out another splinter. She hissed.

"Come in."

She did not look up, as she was focused on ending the ridiculous amount of pain in her right palm. She heard a chair moving and felt a presence appear in front of her. Suddenly, large, hairy hands took hers.

Her head snapped up. He was looking down, assessing the damage to her skin. A low light began to emanate, and she immediately focused on it. He was… _casting_ something on her.

She felt the wooden slivers moving out of her palms, but there was no pain. The skin began to heal itself, and a white, calming light washed over her hands, spreading up through her arms. He released his grip.

She brought her hands up to her face, turning them over, then back again. Her face had an expression of confusion. She had seen the Draenei perform "spells", but she had never been exposed to _this_.

"You have never been healed before, I take it." His voice was gruff and deep. It was hard to decipher if he was berating an individual, or simply engaging in conversation. Perhaps…she had been mistaken with his demeanor?

"It all seems so…incredible. I forget…sometimes…" She shook her head, bringing herself back into focus with the Worgen in front of her. "Thank you, Captain."

"You are not one of my crew. Please, call me Colton. And _thank you_ , Ms. Kardashian. I do believe I owe you my life." His orange eyes glowed with a low radiance.

She struggled keeping her face straight. Had she known this place was _actually_ real, and not a dream, she would have used a different name.

Her phone beeped in her bag, under the bed. Colton startled, looking down towards the floor. She jumped up, nearly knocking him back.

"Well, I feel great! Thank you so much Bolton!"

"Colton." He snarled.

"Of course! Here, let me help you up." She yanked on his hands, pulling him up as fast as she could, using the momentum to drag him across the tiny room, and out into the hallway.

"Have a fantastic day!" She slammed the door and ran over to her bed, dragging the bag out from underneath. She swiped "Off", silencing the alarm.

 _In her short duration on this strange planet, she had attempted to keep whatever had been with her a secret. Her goal was to pass thru as no more than an average "human", and eventually find her way home. Her phone had been damaged 'upon entry', most likely from being submerged in water. It was amazing that it still worked, and she theorized that the local "magic" was the cause._

 _The only ones who knew were the space goats that found her washed up on the shore. However, the Draenei, in general, were of a good sort…travelers themselves. Nothing she owned shocked them much, and they went about their business, usually patting her head like a child when she would try to show them pictures of her home. They had warned her that the other denizens of this strange planet may not be as accepting._

 _Her inability to communicate with them was what brought Martyn. They had sent word to Stormwind (a human city, as it was explained) that "one of their own" had washed up on shore, speaking a language that even Velen, their leader, had never heard. Martyn's only purpose was to assess her situation._

 _The Draenei had set her outside their great city, near the docks. She was not allowed to come closer, as they were unsure of her origins, as well as her motivations. While it was a slight, they still treated her well. Then Martyn showed up, speaking down to her, making demeaning gestures as a form of communication. She had gotten fed up with the treatment, proceeding to communicate in sign language that he had a "very small dick". He blew out of the fishing shack with a disgusted look, his arms in the air, signifying that she was a low-grade moron. One of the residents took pity on her, casting a warm light over her head. Suddenly, she could understand them…_

Colton peaked through a crack in the door, taking note at the strange objects she was rummaging through. _Interesting, indeed_. His "Captain" role was a mere façade; he was employed by S1:7, with his instructions being to deliver the foreigner to the Mage District. However, she was also to remain his charge, until further notice. The Kingdom perceived her as potentially valuable, and perhaps the first visitor from an uncharted land on Azeroth, or even another world.

He growled, pushing himself back and heading towards his quarters. He should have stayed in the priesthood…

* * *

She had her bag swung over her shoulder, attempting to navigate the crowded streets of the massive city. Michael Bolton was moving fast in front of her. Occasionally, he would stop, looking behind him, only to find her staring in a window shop in utter amazement. He would then growl loudly, motioning her to keep up. She mostly ignored him.

A toy train moved around in a circular fashion, as a small, animatronic gorilla beat its chest. Children were running in and out of the shop in delight. A squeal or shout would resonate from within, followed by laughter.

She smiled. It almost seemed… _normal_. A large, hairy hand touched her shoulder.

"Come."

Her feet pushed her forward. The outskirts of the Draenei city had been magnificent to see, but this place was beyond imagination. It was what a Sci-fi version of the Renaissance festival would look like. Above her head, she saw the blue scales of a dragon shimmer. _It was heading right towards her._

She sprinted off, hopping over a cart into a small alley on the side. She crouched, putting her bag over her head, trembling, hoping that she wouldn't be ate or burned to death. She felt a warm hand on her arm.

"Ms. Kardashian…what is wrong?"

Her eyes looked up, past that lumbering wolf in front of her. She saw the large, blue dragon walk on all fours on the cobblestone. Suddenly, a bluish haze formed around it, and a man stepped forth from the fog. Her jaw dropped.

"That's… _not real_ …"

Colton turned around, seeing one of the blue dragonflight engaged in conversation with a gnome, selling sweets. He swerved his head back to the odd women on the ground. Her eyes still wide, with panic.

"Do you want me to carry you? Because this is becoming ridiculous."

Her eyes snapped to him, a blaze of fury hidden behind hazel orbs. "No, but you can go fuck yourself."

He growled, then reached down, picking her up in one swoop move, and throwing her over his shoulder. He stepped out of the alley and back into the street, ignoring the looks the citizens were giving him. She let herself hang there; defeated. Her feet ached, anyways.

* * *

An oompa loompa was staring at her. She was sitting on a wooden chair, still breathing heavy from the massive ramp they had climbed to get to the top of the "mage's tower". They had left the ill-mannered dog at the entrance, instructing him to wait until they were finished with her. He looked completely pissed off and disgruntled.

She grinned; hopefully this would take a _very, long time_.

"What happened before you arrived here?"

She cleared her throat. "I was heading home from the gym, up the street, and I heard a strange noise behind the Subway, by my apartment. It sounded like a loud, electrical buzz, and I saw the reflection of a bright, blue light flashing on the brick wall. My first thoughts was that a power line had fallen. When I went back there, there was this…portal, I think."

"You're not sure? Portals are pretty obvious."

She narrowed her eyes. "I had never _seen a portal before_. They don't exist."

An older man, with a large, pointy hat and robe, was looking at her exercise pants. He would stretch them out, holding them up to a floating ball of light, trying to deduce what material they were. It was amusing to watch, if anything.

"And then what happened?"

"I lost consciousness, and woke up on the shore of some strange land, where a person with goat legs dragged me out of the water."

The Draenei in the corner glanced up, her ethereal glowing eyes narrowing in on her. "Sorry, I meant no disrespect. Your race is incredibly beautiful." The female smiled, returning to the book magically floating in front of her.

The tiny person chuckled. Noise from some sort of commotion outside the room echoed. All three inhabitants looked at the door when it opened. "Kalec!"

A man, dressed in brown, thick clothing, stepped in. He wore a white tunic, and carried various leather and metal clasps over his arms and legs. He reminded her of an old-fashioned explorer.

 _With blue hair_.

"Ah, a visitor, I see?" His fiercely bright blue eyes narrowed in on her. "A traveler, no less." She felt something prick her mind, and her eye twitched. A headache? She glanced around the room, wondering if they had aspirin here.

"Ms. Jones, I hope the mages are treating you well?"

Her eyes widened. He glanced at her, confused. The little person spoke up. "Her name is Kim Kardashian. I'm sorry Kalec, there must have been a mistake on her paperwork."

He glanced back at the woman in the chair. "Yes…of course. May I speak to our guest in private?"

The other two nodded, and quickly grabbed some items, heading out of the room, shutting the door. The strange, blue-haired man walked towards her. She slunk in the chair a little bit with each step.

"You go by Vicky, am I correct?"

She nodded, barely.

He chuckled. "Fear not, my friend. It is not uncommon to communicate with your mind in this world. While yours is easily accessed, you, however, lack the ability to respond. In fact, you entirely lack any magic; so much it makes you noticeable."

She sighed, putting her head in her palm. She had her elbow propped on her knee. This was the last thing she needed. Not only was she on a different planet, but she also gave off a strange vibe…or a lack of a vibe.

 _She'd only survive a week, tops._

He laughed, reaching over to grab her shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze. She looked up into his face; it was like he stepped straight out of a magazine. He was _gorgeous_. A smell crossed her nose. It smelled like…

His blue eyebrows scrunched together. "What is Tide?"

She laughed.

* * *

"Sorry Atherton. I'm sure you understand. Orders are orders."

He growled. He did not sign up with the organization to babysit. While he would protect her, as required, she could damn well be provided her own place of residency, especially if she was that much of an interest to his superiors.

Colton stormed out, walking past her without a glance. She stared at him, then back at the entrance to the building. _Wasn't she supposed to sleep here?_

She heard an irritated growl. Looking back towards him, she saw him motion her to follow.

"Oh for fuck's sake…" She gripped the strap of her bag, rolling her eyes.

Kalec had told her he would reach out to his vast network of magicians and weirdos, seeing if any might be able to help, or, at least, figure out how she stumbled onto this planet. After that, they could start working on how to get her back home.

His theory was that it had to do with some of the engine parts that fell off the Draenei ship, the Exodus. The charged crystals had powerful effects on the environment around them. It was not impossible to deduce that having a large collection of them, in one location, for years, might produce something akin to an inter-dimensional portal, if only briefly.

Their conversation also shed light on some other details; it wasn't a city she had been staring at her first few months here…it was a spaceship. An entire civilization of people on a floating ship, similar to the Death Star, albeit, much more benevolent. They walked around a corner and the smell of sewage smacked her in the face. She much preferred space goat land over this cesspool. She had been shoved aside, even knocked back on her ass, on more than one occasion by the rude, self-important citizens of this city.

The biggest asshole being the dog in front of her.

They finally arrived to a plain looking town home, on a generic pathway that diverted off the main street. His large hands fumbled with his tiny satchel, and he produced a key that barely fit into his hand. Somehow, he managed to unlock the door, and pushed it open. He walked in, saying nothing while tossing his cloak and bags to the side.

She remained outside, gripping the strap of her bag. He looked over his shoulder.

"Are you going to stand out there all night, human?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Firstly, you haven't invited me in. Secondly, you're a dick. Thirdly, don't you huff and puff doors down?"

He walked over, slamming the door in her face.

* * *

She was wandering the streets of the city, trying to find an inn. Her plan was to follow the noises of drunks. It had worked _flawlessly_.

A lowlife whistled at her as she walked up the steps, taking a swipe at her ass. She ignored him.

"What's a sweet piece of candy like you walking around alone? Need someone to warm up with?"

She shook her head, pushing the door open and stepping in. The noise was deafening. Before her were all sorts of creatures and humans, in varying degrees of drunkenness. A little person, or Gnome, as Kalec corrected her on, was dancing on the table in front of two Dwarves, who excitedly were guzzling their beer, dripping it all over their beards.

She pushed her way through the crowd, heading up to the counter. An older, balding man glanced at her, an unenthused look on his face.

"What do you want?"

She grimaced. Did she say a week? She'd be lucky if she survived one night…

"A room."

"One gold."

She dug into the little coin pouch in her pocket. She knew she had one gold. The people that wanted her brought here had sent 500 gold with Martyn. He handed her this bag, with a smile, and told her to be careful where she spent it.

She opened it up. All that was in there were some copper coins, and a few silver. She looked up at the bartender, holding the bag open. "Will this be enough?"

He looked at the bag, then looked up at her. "Are you serious?"

Her eyes widened in confusion, followed by sadness. She had been swindled…

The bartender sighed, and nodded his head towards the back room. "Look, we're short staffed tonight. If you help out in the back, I'll let you stay in one of the cots in the basement. Deal?"

She smiled, nodding her head, and dashing off behind the counter, where his wife was already screaming for her to haul more mead out of the basement…

* * *

Colton tossed in his bed, throwing a heavy arm over his head. He couldn't sleep, although he should be dead tired. He groaned, throwing the covers over and standing up.

 _He shouldn't have left her out there._

He pulled his boots on and threw his cloak over his shoulders. He would try the local inn up the street first. Hopefully, she had enough sense to go there.

He fell out into the rank streets of the early night. The sun had just set, and the sounds of the noisy, night crowd had picked up. He dodged between some drunks, arriving to the first inn.

"Did you see that fiery red-head? She's the new wrench the old man picked up. Pretty one too."

 _Yep, he was in the right place_.

He walked into the inn. The smell of spilled beer and bad food assaulted his snout. He sneezed, growling as he wiped his nose. The quicker he found her, the sooner he could get back to his bed.

"Hey sweetheart, if you show me a little of what's underneath, I'll give you something you'll never forget."

He spotted her. She was still in her travel clothes, a rag tucked into her belt. Her hair was frizzed and her face was dripping in sweat. On her shoulder was a large tray of pints. She was struggling to put one in front of each of the misogynist farmhands shouting lewd comments at her.

"Are those real? Let's find out." One of them reached up, grabbing her breast. She dropped the tray and cocked her arm back, punching him in the face hard enough that he fell off his chair. His buddies laughed, clinking their glasses.

"Hey Reg! This one's a keeper!" The greedy bartender grinned in return. She had brought in twice the business, all for the promise of a place to sleep in the basement. It was terms he could _definitely_ get used to.

Colton took a few large strides over, grabbing her wrist.

"We are **_leaving_**."

"Hey, dog…where do you think you're taking our wrench." He turned around, seeing a well-built, farmhand glaring at him. Behind him were a few of his buddies, intent on jumping in on whatever fight the leader started.

Colton sneezed again; his eyes were beginning to burn from the dense atmosphere of smoke and body odor. His patience was at its limit. He picked the lewd up by his throat, and threw him a good twenty feet across the bar, sending him crashing into the wall. His buddies stepped back, their eyes wide, not wishing to engage in a fight they had no chance in winning. He turned back to his charge, and pushed her forward, out the door.

* * *

"Look, I think I have enough coins to cover an inn. It's hard for me to believe a room costs one gold, anyways. I think that guy was being a jerk, and wanted free labor."

He wasn't looking at her. He was looking at his split soles on his boots. He groaned; that was the third pair this month. "How much do you have?"

She dug into her pant pockets, and pulled out the few coins she had. "Um…whatever this is." She pushed it towards him.

He glanced up at her. "You can't count?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, _I can count_. It's just…" She frowned, throwing the change on the table. "Fuck it."

She threw her bag on the floor, and sat on the small cot off to the side. Her phone's alarm went off again.

"Motherfucker!" She kicked her bag, then crouched over it, angrily pulling the brown sheet back, exposing the zippers and sports logos. Finding her phone, she picked it up, almost smashing it against the wall.

She debated, then held the button on the side instead. The beep finally stopped.

Why she was insistent on keeping her few belongings, she didn't know. The mages had told her what she didn't want to hear; she was stuck. None of her "technology" meant shit. Martyn had dumped her as soon as he saw the bag of coins drop in his hand. She was "a guest" of the city; a.k.a., a prisoner.

She sat back on the cot, her head buried in her palms. Her thoughts returned to her home; her mother's face pushed itself to the forefront of her mind…all gone, forever. Stuck in this primitive shithole, until she got herself killed, which seemed like quite an easy task. She let loose a shaky breath, tossing the phone on her bag.

"What is that?"

Her head snapped up. He was standing near her, looking at her malfunctioning phone; his wolfish, glowing eyes enlarged with questions. She returned to staring off into the space between her knees.

"Something that has no value any longer. A relic of a past or future, maybe another dimension, made of materials unknown to… _here_."

"Time travel and alternate realities are not unknown, Kim."

She sighed. "Where I am from, talking wolves don't exist."

He snarled. He hated it when she talked down to him, like some sort of animal. "That is from the curse, _woman_."

She raised her head, her eyes taking on a sudden, saddened expression. "Curses do not exist, either."

She leaned forward. "Magic…does not exist. Why do you think I was so fascinated when you fixed my hands?"

She reached for something in her bag, pulling out a strange book, offering it to him. "I do not, naturally, speak whatever language this is. One of the Draenei 'casted' something on my brain, which allows me to communicate. In terms of your local literature, I cannot read nor write. I have been trying to teach myself."

He glanced at the book, and slowly opened the cover. Bright white, thin paper was bound, by unknown means. On the pages were words he recognized, which were written next to a language and lettering he had never seen.

Her eyes swelled up. "They told me I can't return. I'm stuck. Do you have any idea what it feels like? People like you…you think I'm an idiot. My first attempt at finding a place to sleep ending with getting groped by alcoholics. How can I survive here? I don't even know the fucking currency."

A tear fell down her cheek. She harshly wiped it off her cheek as she stood up, grabbing for her bag.

"It's cool. I'll find an inn. Just tell me how much is on the table there, and how many nights it will cover for a room. I'm talking cheap; a sleeping bag on the floor."

He glanced at the few pieces of copper and a silver. It looked like the slimy mage took everything. He knew, because he was the one that handed that useless, pompous windbag the five hundred gold to give to her. He snarled, his canines becoming exposed. He walked to his side of the room, grabbing his split shoes and cloak. Looking up, he saw that she had an expression of confusion, while she gripped the handle of her pack.

"Stay here. I'll be back."

* * *

It wasn't hard to find him. The boisterous, annoying voice of Martyn echoed out of the inn. He was in the prestigious section of the city. While racism was not legal, the bar had notoriously been classified as "humans-only". It merely was not worth the effort of any of the other races to care _._

"The best part is, she believed me! I took all the gold from her hand, while she smiled!" Laughter erupted from the bar.

 _Idiot._

He tucked himself away in one of the dark recesses off the side of the cobblestone path. It required him to focus his mind, and having an audience was always something he struggled with. He closed his eyes; the image of a scythe flashed, as a cooling breeze rushed over his body, his beastly form dissipating.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at his cream-colored hands, sticking them into the pocket of his loose overcoat, pulling out some gloves. He adjusted his clothing, tightening the straps to fit his smaller form. Worgen's clothing needed the ability to expand and contract at ease, without tearing. He looked down at his boots.

 _Shoes were still a problem._

He stepped out of the darkness, heading towards the entrance of the bar.

* * *

It was the middle of the night by the time he returned. He stepped into his house to find her sitting on the floor by the door, her bag in her lap. She had drifted off to sleep; dark circles were under her eyes.

Guilt washed over him. He threw the bag of money on the table, and leaned down, lifting her up. In her exhaustion, she didn't even budge, letting her bag crash on the floor. He carried her over, placing her on his bed, while pulling the sheet up. Some of her auburn hair had come loose, sprawling out over the edge of her face. His fingers brushed it back.

He glanced over to the cot in the corner. Rolling his shoulders, he picked up a spare blanket on top of his metal chest, and stretched out. Sleep finally came.


	2. Chapter 2

Unfortunately, there is no rhyme or reason to organization of the chapters. I found when I tried to break it out by related content that the number of chapters was becoming quite large, with some only being a thousand words, or less. Instead, I try to bulk things together by size...anywhere from 4-7k. It gives readers a sizable chunk to read in between updates.

* * *

She sighed. They had her plugged into some sort of primitive neurological device, with wires running to her head from a machine with about twenty spinning dishes on it. It reminded her of the sleep study she had underwent some years before. It was, also, just as obnoxious.

"Try to remain still. We are analyzing your brain waves."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh! Look at that spike!"

Her eyes fixated on the hole in her trousers over her knee. She was still in the same outfit the Draenei were kind enough to give her when she first arrived, over four months ago. Colton had told her that she had one thousand gold "to spend as you see fit".

Except, she had no idea what she was doing, where to go, or what to buy. While he went off to "work", she would busy herself, washing her clothes in the primitive sink. He had a little courtyard in the back of the townhome, which sported a handpump for water. The soap was unscented and harsh, but she would scrub away, regardless.

She moved, and the hole in her knee split another inch. Perhaps she had scrubbed _too hard_. Kalec walked in the room, in all his glorious, blue hotness.

"Oh! Look at all that activity!"

Her cheeks reddened, as her eyes went big. She was throwing imaginary daggers in the back of the gnome's head. Kalec laughed; his eyes narrowing on her torn pants.

"Has your host not been taking adequate care of you, my friend?"

 _Host…host…he must mean the cantankerous dog._ "Not really."

Kalec closed his eyes and sighed. It was assumed that a prior member of the priesthood would have some form of empathy…and manners.

"Although, he did get the money back that Martyn took. Plus, he told me I'm not allowed in bars anymore."

Kalec grinned. He felt the low hum of a light coming nearer from behind him. _Speaking of_ …

Vicky saw Kalec turn, addressing someone behind the door. Her head moved, as she tried catching a glimpse of who it was. A thick accent rolled off a man's tongue.

"What are they doing to her?"

"Ah, I was not expecting to see you." Kalec's grin remained. It appeared his moody friend had decided to take a more vested interest in his charge.

Vicky caught a glimpse of dark blonde hair. "Ms. Jones, please remain still! You will disrupt the data, and we'll have to start over again."

She sat deathly still, her hands rigidly gripping the edge of the chair. The door swung open, and Kalec stepped back in, followed by a man she had never seen before.

He was taller, with long, dark blonde hair that fell past his chin. He was wearing black pants, tucked into knee-high boots. On top was a black vest, with a white tunic underneath; the sleeves rolled up. His face was rather attractive; high cheekbones that highlighted his intense, blue eyes. His gaze fell on her.

 _Oh Lord…_

"Kalec, look at this! Her brain activity spiked again, the most we have seen! What do you think is causing it?"

Her cheeks flushed an even darker red, and she looked at the blue-haired mage, desperately trying to communicate to him that she needed to get off this machine…whatever was left of her pride, depended on it.

He let loose a loud, booming laugh. "I think she's had enough for the day."

The gnome stuck out their lip, but switched the machine off. Vicky slumped over in the chair, sticking her hands out to the side. Her eyes were closed…she didn't want to look.

She felt warm hands removing the wires from her head. Glancing up, she found herself looking at the blonde-haired man. Her heart sped up as the smell of earth and spice graced her senses.

"Come, we have some errands to run." His thick accent sounded almost guttural, as his pronunciation of certain syllables came across differently.

She looked at Kalec. "What about Colton? Does he know? He's supposed to come get me, and he gets _real_ pissed off if I'm not ready. I can't imagine how pissed off he'd get if I wasn't here."

Kalec and the man locked eyes, the man looking off to the floor, almost like he was slightly ashamed. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Ms. Jones, we appreciate your cooperation today. Tomorrow we plan to continue more of the same tests, with your permission, of course." Vicky groaned, rubbing her hands over the spots on her head that were sore.

"Ms. Jones?" The blonde-haired man looked at her, with questioning eyes.

Her eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

He glanced at Kalec, who had a mischievous grin plastered on his lips. He reached down, helping Vicky up, and ushering her to the door.

"Don't worry Vicky, I'll let Colton know. No need for him to bite your head off when you return home, eh?"

She heard the door shut behind her, and a loud laughter erupted from the other side. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. This place was a loony bin. She glanced to the man next to her. _He was glaring at her_. She leaned back, her eyebrows raised.

"Can I…help you?"

She swore she heard him growl, as he grabbed her arm, pulling her along and out of the tower.

* * *

"Oh, hey, there's my house! Well, my sponsor's house, anyways. Have a great-"

She felt him snatch her back towards him, as they kept walking by Colton's townhome.

She looked at his hand, then at the side of his face. "Do I need to scream? Because my friend is a giant wolf. He may not like me, but he's being paid to pretend like he does, and he _will_ fuck you up."

He rolled his eyes, loosening his grip on her arm, and snatching her hand instead. He pulled her towards him, so they were facing.

"Look, _Ms. Jones_ , we are going to procure you different attire, as well as a few other items. I have been instructed to prep you for travel. Your situation has caught the interest of a powerful mage, to the north."

Her eyes glanced back to Colton's home. She had spent, almost, two solid months with the cranky wolf, and it was pretty much all she knew. It was stable and familiar; she didn't want to give that up.

"What about Colton? Is he coming?" She looked at him, worry in her eyes.

His hands squeezed hers a bit, as he softened his gaze. "Those were the orders." He turned, pulling her with him, sweeping her hand in the crook of his arm. It was a gentlemanly way of keeping her close, without causing alarm to others; his Gilnean upbringing was engrained with his personality, regardless of who the intended party was. The district they were going to could be a little rough, rampant with thieves and pickpockets. However, there was a shop, in particular, that was well worth the trip.

They continued forward. Vicky glanced around nervously. It felt odd, being "escorted" by some strange blonde.

 _A rather attractive, strange blonde, at that._

They approached a district with a variety of shops, crammed in on top of each other. Vendors were packed in the street, trying to out shout each other, as they passed. He led her down a pathway off to the right, towards a rickety, plain looking door. He opened it, dragging her in after him.

"Atherton, my boy!" A large, round dwarf waddled up from behind the counter. "How have ya been?!" He glanced behind his worgen friend, doing a once over of the red head, looking at the chest pieces on the wall, like she had just seen a piece of leather for the first time in her life. "And _who is this_?"

He glanced back to Colton. "When did ya fancy red-heads? You know me sister's one. If I'd of known…"

Colton closed his eyes, shaking his head. Hembel could be a lot to handle. This was probably why he didn't make it down this way much…

"She needs to be outfitted. We're heading to Silvermoon."

The dwarf stood back, his squinty eyes, widening about as much as they could, which wasn't more than a sliver. "Yikes man! Ye sure 'bout that?" He looked at the woman. She had one of his thigh protectors wrapped around her waist, in confusion. "Yer woman be a little…inexperienced, if ya don't mind me sayin."

He slapped the dwarf on his shoulder. "That's why I came here. You're the best." He produced a large bag of gold, and placed it in the leatherworker's hands. "Do what you can."

He weighed it by lifting it up and down a few times, his tiny eyes widening to mere slivers, once more. "Ye never cease to surprise me boy! Aight, give me an hour, and she'll be ready."

He walked up to his charge. She had a pair of goggles on her head, looking through them while holding at a pair of gloves to her face. He touched her shoulder and she yelped, tripping into a stand full of small leather packs, knocking them all over the floor. Flustered, she bent down, trying to pick up what she could, frantically throwing them back on the little shelves. Colton crouched next to her, grabbing her chin to get her attention. Ridiculously enlarged, hazel eyes stared back at him through the goggles. She froze.

"Hembel will take good care of you, okay? I will be back to get you in one hour. Stay with him the entire time. This is not a safe area of the city, but he is the best." He gave her a smile, nodding towards her. Her eyes glanced to the side, and a light blush formed on her cheeks.

 _If he didn't know any better…_

"Alright girl! Get yer buns over here, and quit ruining my merchandise!"

* * *

He was sitting in the chair of a local shoe shop, getting fitted for his fourth pair of the month. There was a new store in town, the shopkeeper being a gnome that recently moved in from Ironforge.

"I think…for you, we will try this type of material. It hasn't been on market for long, but it should provide the flexibility you need when you change forms. Would that work for you?"

He nodded. At this point, he would wear cottons strips.

The gnome took some more measurements, then went in the back. He heard the squeaks and hollers that usually accompanied the tiny race when they were happily involved in a project. About fifteen minutes later, the small merchant emerged with a pair of black boots.

"Try these on."

Colton slipped them on, stretching his feet out. He stood up, and walked around, bending in different positions.

"How do they feel?"

"Quite good, actually."

"Now try it in your other form."

He looked around. This was what he hated the most. Changing forms in public was one of his social phobias, although he had no idea why. As if noticing his distress, the gnome motioned for him to follow, and brought him around the edge of the store, blocking any view from the entranceway to the shop.

He closed his eyes, and focused his mind. The same image flashed, and he felt his skin split, as the fur began to poke out. He grabbed his head, pulling on the skin that kept morphing into something different. His bones elongated, his face contorted, and he felt his height increase. Moments later, he opened his eyes, seeing the familiar hairy claws of his hands.

He looked at his boots. They were snug, but had stretched enough to accommodate his form. He bounced up and down a few times, twisting his legs. The boots still felt good. The bottom part of his clawed feet were touching the floor. He looked down at the gnome with a questioning glance.

"These have a spell woven into the material. It senses when the seams need to split, and will reform when an excess amount of space is available again. No more split soles or tacky strings that cover the entire bottom of the shoes!"

He glanced to the gnome. "I'll order ten of these." The little shopkeeper flashed him a radiant smile, and waived him over to the counter.

* * *

It had been a little over an hour. His new shoes felt _wonderful_. It made even the drabbest things, like babysitting clueless, strange women, seem _that_ much better.

He walked into Hembel's shop, half expecting to see the girl skewered on his wall as a trophy. Hembel was not the most patient dwarf, and she had already made a faux pas by knocking over his coveted bag display, even though no one ever bought any.

"So then I said 'how else will you afford your flea shampoo?'"

Hembel's booming laugh echoed in the shop. He leaned over, wheezing with tears streaming out of his eyes. She was standing up on his fitting stand, her arms stretched out, as he adjusted the leather of armor for her.

It tugged her form nicely. His charge was not an ugly woman, by far. She was attractive enough, possessing a sort of "exotic" feel to her. However, he preferred to keep personal business separate from work. It wasn't good for the bank account, among other things.

 _Not to mention, she was irritating_.

"Aye girl, I haven't laughed like that in _years_ …" He finished tying off one last section, then walked around her in a circle, tugging at random, assuring it was in place.

"Aight, ye be done!" She jumped down, stretching her back, and rotating her arms in the air. She looked at the dwarf, a beaming smile on her face.

"This is _amazing_! It fits like I was born with it. You realize I have _never_ known anyone who was able to do this?"

The old dwarf puffed his chest out, stroking his beard. "They don't call me the 'master' for nothin, girl." He glanced to Colton. "Looks like ye chaperon is here."

She turned, seeing the familiar, furry snout of her moody companion. She grinned, motioning over her new outfit. "Hey Colton, look at this. Amazing, isn't it?"

He grinned, or, at least, she thinks that's what it was. Colton turned to Hembel.

"You did a good job friend. I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon to pick up the rest of the items on the list, after her appointment at the mage's tower."

She piped in. "Why not ask that blonde-haired man, again?"

Hembel looked at her, his head twisted as far as it could with his short, stocky neck. Suddenly, a loud laugh tore from his mouth. He slapped Colton on the back.

"Nice boy… _nice_ …"

He growled, reaching for Vicky, while dragging her out of the shop; the laughter from the dwarf dying in the background behind them, as he rushed her home. He looked down at her; her hand was latched around his arm, as she kept glancing left and right.

"The guy that picked me up said this area was dangerous. Does he work in your organization, too?"

Should he tell her? Part of him thought that he should correct her misconceptions. The other part of him wanted to see how long it might take her to figure it out. A devious, toothy grin began to form.

"Yes."

They reached his front door, and he opened it, pushing her in, shutting and latching it behind them. It was pitch black. He felt on the foyer table for the lantern and matches, lighting it and proceeding towards the right, into the bedroom. He lit a second lantern.

"Here, take this. It can be yours."

She walked over, grabbing the lantern's handle. "Oh, geez, a lantern of my very own? _You shouldn't have_."

He leaned in close to her. Her eyes widened as her heartbeat sped up. Was he going to _eat her_?

He took in a deep breath and blew out her lantern. He turned from her, placing his on his nightstand, as he kicked off his boots, and threw the covers back. His lamp went out, and she was left there, standing in the dark, holding her unlit lantern.

* * *

Silvermoon. He had not been there for years, ever since the height of the Alliance and Horde war. The war _always_ existed, but it would wax and wane in intensity, depending on the politics at the time. Garrosh had been alive at that time, and the Alliance had bolstered an extensive spy network, which worked its way upwards from the Eastern Plaguelands. He had last been stationed in Ghostlands, near the border to Eversong Woods. He spent three months holed up in the crumbling ruins of an old Highborne village, which had been crawling in Nerubians.

He had vowed that he would never return. Yet, here he was, staring into the putrid skyline of the Plaguelands, once again.

They had taken a flight from Stormwind to Light's Hope Chapel. It took the better part of a day, with a few transfers at the various Alliance towns on the way to their destination. His rubbed at his sides; they were sore. His eyes narrowed, as he glanced at the sleeping form next to him. She had apparently never flown, or, she had never flown on a griffin. She had latched her arms around him in a death grip the _entire flight_. By the time they arrived at their destination, she was fast asleep, sitting in the front as he held her upright. He carried her over, unceremoniously dropping her on a bedroll, as he constructed their tent.

They were camping outside the chapel, in a flat area that had a few tents already set up. This was a common stopping place for all the denizens of Azeroth. The light shunned no one. It was the first lesson he had ever learned…

He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up, seeing the giant form of a tauren in druid attire. "May we set up a camp next to yours."

Colton nodded. "Please, feel free."

The tauren smiled, turning to wave his goblin counterpart over. Colton groaned, _he hated goblins_ …

Something stirred next to him. She pushed herself up from the ground, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was stuck flat, and she yawned, leaning up as she scratched her back. She lazily glanced around the area, taking in the new scenery. Her eyes landed on the tauren next door, and her mouth fell open.

Colton felt her grab his hand, and he growled, irritated. "Colton…Colton!" She whispered in a panic.

He snapped his head towards her, baring some of his teeth. " ** _What_**?"

"It's a cow…and it's _walking_ …"

He had to keep himself from laughing. The tauren took notice of her, and made his way over to the her.

"Why hello, little one. I hope we did not wake you?" His deep, rumbling voice spilled out.

Vicky shook her head slowly, her eyes wide in amazement. "Wow, you can talk?"

The tauren looked at Colton, who shook his head, diverting his eyes to the side. She would have to deal with this on her own. It was a good learning experience.

"Why yes. Have you not seen one of my kind before?"

Her eyebrows scrunched. "Your kind? Aren't you a cow?"

The tauren snorted through his snout, offended. An obnoxious laugh erupted nearby, and she leaned forward, looking past Colton's sitting form. Her face contorted.

"Why is that guy green? Is he sick?"

It was the tauren's turn to laugh, as he motioned her to follow him. "Come, little one, I feel there is much for you to learn. We are in need of good conversation to pass the night, as it is."

She smiled, standing up and following the large druid over to the fire his counterpart was busily setting up. Colton sighed in relief, eyeballing the newly empty bedroll. He crawled in under their tent, and let sleep overtake him. He'd get the second bedroll out later.

* * *

Vicky sat there, chewing on some unknown bread, partaking in a conversation she would have never been able to dream of before. Her introduction to this planet came in the form of the beautiful space goats. Some elves and werewolves were sprinkled in, but so far, that had seemed to be about the most bizarre.

However, now she found herself sitting between a talking cow, and a little green man. With earrings and spiked, purple hair.

"So what's with your moody wolf, toots? He's not much of a talker."

She looked back at the sleeping form of Colton. He had passed out on the only bedroll. She was still exhausted, but she hated to wake him to ask about a second one.

"He's always been like that. I honestly have no idea what his problem is."

The tauren was puffing on a sort of local weed out of a pipe, soaking in the calmness of the camp and the crackles of the fire. "It is funny, is it not? No matter what planet or place you are in this universe, some of the same behaviors always remain."

She laughed. This was very true. Her thoughts wondered back to the man that picked her up from the mage's tower. Would she ever see him again? He seemed so familiar, yet she did not know why.

"What does he look like in his human form?" The goblin took a large bite out of his turkey leg, chewing with his mouth opened. She chuckled a bit.

"He has a human form? Like…he can shape shift? That's impossible…" The image of the man that formed from the blue dragon pushed its way forward. She shook her head…maybe it had been an optical illusion?

The tauren chuckled, standing up in front of her. "Not only is it possible, little one, but I will show you first hand. Observe." Vicky watched as a strange mist formed around the bipedal bull. Suddenly, he disappeared, and a _very_ large bear was in front of her. It growled, dipping its head low and flashing her a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.

"Holyshit!" She fell off the log she was on, scrambling to her feet and preparing to take off in a full sprint. Her face collided into something soft, but rigid. A grunt followed, and she found herself tumbling on top of a person.

 _Well, not a person…_

Colton looked at her, his orange eyes narrowing in on her. He snarled. " _Get…off…_ " He shoved her back, causing her to crash on her rear. Pushing himself up from the ground, he walked to their belongings and dragged out another bedroll, which he threw on the ground at her feet.

"Your bedroll. I trust you can figure it out on your own." He walked off, disappearing near the outhouses in the distance.

Mingan had returned to his normal form, watching the sad interaction between the worgen and human girl in front of him. He shook his head. "I apologize, little one. Next time, I will warn you of which animal form I choose."

Vicky looked up at him, her eyes a little watery. Sometimes Colton's abrasive personality could cut deep, and being tired and stressed out made her more emotional than normal. She took a shaky breath.

"Yikes, toots. Does he always treat you like that?"

Vicky frowned. "Him and I have a very…well, we don't have a relationship at all. He tolerates me, because he is ordered to." Her eyes saddened, and she pushed herself up, reclaiming her seat on the log in front of the fire. What a horrible realization? The only person she truly knows on this planet, and that's how she summarizes it.

"Fear not, little one. You can always count Biznel and I as friends. You are pure of heart, of this I can tell. The Earth Mother embraces you as one of her own."

"What is the Earth Mother?"

Biznel spit out some of his turkey. "Now you've gone and done it toots! He won't _ever_ shut up…"

Hours later, her friends had finally fallen asleep, and she found herself nodding off a few times on the log. She finally couldn't take it anymore, and stumbled towards her tent. She picked up the bedroll, spreading it out to its full length. _It's made for a five-year-old._ Her eyes glanced over Colton's form, on his side.

 _There's a good six inches there. He'll never know…_

She crawled in, spreading the all-too-small bedroll out, and positioned herself opposite of him, so their backs were facing. She had folded her cloak up, and attempted to use it as a makeshift pillow. A cool breeze blew over them, and she shivered. It would be a long night…

* * *

Colton woke up; the smell of jasmine surrounding him. He sighed, breathing in the pleasant scent. It reminded him of his mother's garden, where he and his sister would play in as kids.

Something moaned and wiggled on his chest. His eyes sprung open. He was on his back in a tent, with red hair splayed across his chest, her arms draped over him with her leg hiked up over his thigh. His arm was wrapped around her.

He was in his human form; he had been dreaming of home, which made sense. _This wasn't good_. He had the tendency to change, involuntarily, in the morning; not every time, but often. It was one of those _things_ that some with the curse had to deal with. Every individual had their own, random, negative side effect.

He shook her. "Vicky…wake up."

She moaned, tightening around his chest more. "It's Saturday…"

He looked down at her, an irritated expression on his face. The skin on his back began to split. He shoved her off, causing her to crash into the side of the tent as he bolted out, sprinting behind the chapel. His skin tore open and fur started to push its way through. He lost balance, falling to his knees, as his bones elongated and snapped into place.

Vicky was waiving her hands in the air, panicking. "Help!" She felt a _very large_ hand grab hers and haul her out of the tent.

"Little one, are you okay?" Mingan looked at her concerned. He had seen her caretaker bolt out of the tent, his form beginning to change. It seemed, as though, he was trying to hide that part of himself from her.

She stood up, walking in a circle a bit, calming herself down. "Yeah…I have no idea what that was. I guess I rolled off and crashed into the tent in my sleep?" She looked back at the empty bedroll. "Where's Colton?"

Biznel was poking at the fire, trying to get the embers to light the new wood he laid on top. "Toots…you are not the most observant chick, I have to say."

Her eyes narrowed at the green man. "I'm not the one with purple hair."

He looked up at her. "What does _that_ have to do with anything?!"

"If you're looking to 'pick up chicks', quit dying it flamboyant colors."

Mingan doubled over, roaring in laughter. Biznel bickered into the fire, stabbing at it vigorously.

"Look toots, if you want to find your man, check around back." He pointed off to the chapel. She rubbed her arms, heading in that direction. There was a large graveyard to her left, each marked with symbols and a strange text she had never seen. In the sky, she saw a floating, ominous building. _What was this place?_

She rounded the corner and smacked into Colton, recoiling as she grabbed her nose.

"Watch it." He walked past her, not even giving her a second glance. She frowned, rubbing her stinging nose. Her eyes teared a little. It would probably hurt for a while, but hopefully not bruise.

"Here, let me look at it." She glanced up, seeing a red-haired man with an eye patch standing before her. He was covered in shining, silver armor; over his torso was a gray tabard that sported the symbol of, what looked like, a sun.

She stood up, staring at the man while holding her nose. He stepped to her, removing her hand and replacing it with his. She saw a bright light flare, and a soothing warmness washed over her nose. It reminded her of when Colton healed her hands.

"There, good as new."

She rubbed her nose, feeling no pain. A radiant smile spread across her lips, as she fondly looked at the one-eyed man with a twinkle in her eyes. "Thank you so much!" She stuck out her hand to shake it, and he stared at her, a confused look. Her smile faded, and she withdrew her hand, bowing instead, then running off nervously, back to her camp.

He knew about her. Mathais had written him, asking for him to send word of their arrival. It was a risk they did not enjoy taking, sending something potentially valuable into the hands of the blood elves. However, the blue dragon had assured them no harm would come. However, it never hurt to take precautions.

He glanced towards the camp, eyeing the worgen. He knew the boy from the priesthood, many years in the past. The curse had changed him. He was no longer the light-hearted, empathetic boy, happily healing and marrying off young couples. His heart was heavy, as he continued to struggle in accepting what he had become.

Mathais had a good eye for talent, and an even better eye for matching the right party to the job. Perhaps, it was what this girl needed? Her ignorance with everything on this world was dangerous, indeed. The blood elves were crafty by nature, and many would eagerly take advantage of such naivety.

He turned, heading back into the mausoleum to continue his prayers.

* * *

They were standing at the border of the Plaguelands, awaiting their escorts into the next area. She could not wait to get out of this place. The trees were all infected with some sort of hellish fungi. It wasn't just on the trees, it was _everywhere_. The animals they stumbled across all looked like they suffered from radiation poisoning. It was nuclear fallout on steroids. She felt like she would grow a third arm if they kept lingering.

"Whachya nervous about, toots? Excited about seeing a blood elf?"

Her eyebrow raised. "Wait, a _blood_ elf? What the hell is a blood elf?" She glanced up to the other two members of her party. Mingan and Biznel had decided to join them, as they were headed to Silvermoon, as well.

"No, no… _no_. I did _not_ sign up for vampires. We are leaving, **_now_**."

She turned to go back into the radioactive warzone; it was a better bet than vampires. A clawed hand snatched her arm, pulling her back.

"No, you are staying." She jerked on her arm and he responded by holding it tighter. He leaned in, his thin lips curling, showing more of his teeth. "Don't test me, _human_."

She tried shoving him back. "Get your fucking hands off me!" He yanked her closer, and she rammed her kneed in his crotch, swinging her right arm back and punching him in the side of his head. He hit the ground, a little dazed and groaning. The other two looked at her, their eyes wide.

"You better run, toots."

She sprinted off, back into the Plaguelands. Mingan turned to his companion, a look of disapproval on his worn face. "Biznel…there was no need for that."

"What?! She made fun of my hair."

The tauren snorted. He saw the worgen return his feet, moving on all fours, running after her. He turned ahead. A glimmer from the escort sparked in the far distance. He took out some more herbs, stuffing it in his pipe, as he sat down, enjoying a bit of relaxation. _Their travel companions had plenty of time to sort it out._

* * *

Her legs _burned_. She found a small recess in the edge of the small mountain range to her right. She slipped into it, falling to her knees, as she tried to recover her breath.

 _That…probably wasn't a bright idea, in retrospect._ As much of a dickhead that he was, he was still her ticket to getting off this planet, at least for now. She just had to suffer through it until they reached Silvermoon. Then she would be rid of him.

She sat on the ground, leaning her back up against the cool rock. Her elbows were propped over her knees, and she tilted her head forward, shutting her eyes. Maybe, she could get to Silvermoon herself? Perhaps, the guy with the eye-patch would help her?

"Vicky…" his voice came out heavy, and breathless.

Her head snapped to her left. He was on all fours, breathing heavy and staring at her. Her stomach churned. She looked to the right, noticing it was a dead end. She let her head drop between her knees.

He rocked back on his feet, standing upright. Guilt flooded him. She looked broken and defeated, crumpled up on the damp ground. _She would rather take her chances in the Plaguelands, than be around him._

His eyes closed, and he sighed. She was a stranger, from a strange world, and he had done nothing but treat her the same way he would a prisoner. He had never attempted to engage her in conversation, yet they had spent over two months together. The only reason he knew her real name was because of Kalgec…

"Just leave. I relieve you of your duty. You may go back to your previous station. Shaw had stated that a charge was within their right to exercise such a request to an existing order. 'Hence the difference between a prisoner and a charge'..." During her first week of living with Colton, she had blown into the "super secret spy headquarters" and told his boss that she would rather stab herself in the eyes with hot pokers than to keep being forced to coexist with the prick. He calmed her down, convincing her to give it more time. That, and Colton was the only one with a free schedule.

"If you remain, then I will know that I was never a charge…but I was a _prisoner_."

He grimaced, crouching to her level.

"Prisoners typically bear chains, my lady."

She took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "Depends on the type of war you are engaged in, as well as the caliber of the prisoner in your possession. I pose little to no threat. Chains would be taken as a gross abuse of power, especially if trying to obtain potentially valuable intel."

He sighed. "Vicky, I cannot leave you. At this point, even it if was ordered that I do. You are too naïve and defenseless. This world…it will consume you."

She slowly turned her head to the side, a mischievous grin on her face. "Says the man I just floored five minutes ago."

He laughed, sticking his hand out for her to grab. "That you did. I was _not_ expecting it, I must say."

She grinned, grabbing his hand as he pulled her up and out of the tiny ravine. He let her hand go and proceeded to walk ahead of her. His ear would tilt behind him, assuring he still heard her footsteps nearby. He realized he needed to stop dragging her along like she was cattle; it had simply been easier that way. He had cared little, and wanted it to be done and over with.

He thoughts went back to their recent conversation, and he glanced back at her briefly. _She had called him a man_.


	3. Chapter 3

She grabbed Mingan's hand. "These are blood elves? _Oh…my…god…_ I'm going to need new underwear."

Biznel burst into laughter. "Trust me, toots…it's _all surface_. Not much depth, you'll see."

One of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen walked up to them. His long, blonde hair hung down his back; the golden armor he wore, making him look like a demi-god. The blood red tabard, bearing the symbol of a wings, rippled in the light breeze. Bright green eyes focused on her.

"Victoria Jones. We are delighted to welcome you, _and your guest_ , to our city. Please come."

Colton growled, irritated. She reached out and padded his hand. "There, there, we can buy you a new pair, too."

Biznel and Mingan roared with laughter. They walked forward, sandwiched in between armed guards. In the distance, she saw some of the elves riding brightly colored…birds?

The environment became thick as they moved along. Any light from the sun died, as the area around her faded into a twilight. Everything was dead. To her left, she saw a large, shallow ravine that had been flattened. It reminded her of when a bulldozer clears a path.

"What happened there?"

One of the guards in the front spoke up. "Remnants of the scourge, Ms. Jones." Silence fell on the group, and they continued forward. Occasionally, she would see archers fire an arrow with deadly accuracy, and the horrific squeal or hiss of an animal would resonate from the thick woods.

Eventually, they came across something that resembled a small town. It was derelict; bits of stone falling down the hill. She looked to her right, where a merchant had set up shop.

She froze. Her eyes widened at the "man" in front of her. He glanced to her, narrowing his glowing eyes.

"Buy something or quit gawking, girl."

She felt a hand move her along. Glancing back, she caught a glimpse of the familiar snout of Colton. He leaned down, whispering in her ear. "It's rude to stare."

The guards pulled to the side, instructing them to rest while they negotiated a flight for the remainder of the journey. Vicky was sitting on the floor inside a broken-down building, her legs crossed underneath her. It was a make-shift inn, with a few bedrolls spread out. The lady running it, well…

 _She was missing her jaw._

Vicky did her best to not stare, forcing herself to look into an empty corner, trying to discern any patterns from the disarray of tiles scattered about. A figure walked in her peripheral vision, and her eyes snapped to the right. It was another one of _them_.

He was heading straight towards her. Her eyes widened, as she leaned back a little.

"Fear not, human, I have no qualms with your race."

She looked down at her hands, then back up at him. " _My race?_ Is being Caucasian a bad thing?"

He tilted his head, looking over her form on the floor. "You…are not from here. I sense… _nothing_."

He grinned, a mouthful of rotting teeth on display. His thin lips stretched wider than anything she had ever seen. Her stomach churned, as the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"My lady, I must implore, I would _love_ to have you as my personal guest in Undercity. Would you consider it?"

She looked to the jawless inn keeper on the right for help. The lady merely looked back at her, shrugging her shoulders.

"What is Undercity?"

His grotesque grin remained. "Why, it is only the most wonderful place you will ever set your eyes on. The center of all great research, protected by the Dark Lady herself."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Dark Lady?"

"Sylvanas Windrunner. And no, you will not be going there. _Ever_." Colton stepped in behind the rotting man, his lumbering form hovering over them. He snarled, and the man quickly stepped back, heading towards the exit.

"Well, I dare say you keep _questionable_ company, my dear. My offer still stands. Think on it." He winked, or, tried to. Some of his eyelid split, and he had to lift his bony fingers up, pushing the skin back into place. He stepped out into the dim grayness.

She looked up at Colton. "What was that all about?"

He stuck his hand out, wiggling his fingers for her to take it. She let him pull her up, and he held onto her hand, darting out of the building, around the side, until they were directly behind the inn. His ears twitched around for a few moments, stopping once he was satisfied that there were no eavesdroppers.

"Undercity is where the Forsaken reside. It is built within the bowels of the once great city of Lordaeron. It is not wise to go there, my lady."

Her eyes narrowed. "Quit calling me that. It's creeping me out."

"What would you prefer?"

She shrugged. "I was getting used to _human_." She snarled, doing a horrible attempt of his deep voice.

He chuckled. His hand touched her shoulder, focusing her attention back to their conversation. "In all seriousness, stay away from that place. They routinely do experiments on other races, namely humans. His interest in you would be no more than a scientist stumbling upon a new species of a rat."

"Experiments?"

He sighed, he didn't want to get into this discussion, especially _here_. "When we get to the city, I will tell you more details. However, for now, please, stay close to me. I do not trust any here…"

She lifted her hand to her forehead, giving him a solute. "Aye, captain."

"Ms. Jones!"

She flashed him a grin. "Ah, my posse of gorgeous men awaits. Excuse me, _my lord_." She stepped past him, waiving at the blood elves.

A wolfish grin flashed, as he followed after her.

* * *

They were standing at the inn, waiting for the innkeeper to figure out where they were going to stick the two Alliance _guests_. The looks he was receiving in the sitting area was enough to make even the strongest veteran cringe. He glanced over to Vicky. She was staring at one of the brooms, captivated.

"Hey, Colton…have you _seen this_. It's like fucking Fantasia!"

"You use that word a lot. What does it mean?"

"What word? Fantasia?"

"No. Fuck."

She started to snort, which turned into short laughs. "It's…*snort*…um…well…" She waived her hand dismissively. "It's just an expression. Don't use it though, it's only for adults."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I believe I am older than you, by quite a bit."

"Not in your puppy form."

He choked on his glass of wine, following it up by some coughs. She laughed, going back to poking the broom. Eventually, it jerked, smacking her in the hand. She stepped away, waiving her hand around.

"Owe. Bad broom."

"So…you figured out this is not my true form?"

Her eyebrow raised. "Well…not, entirely. Biznel asked about your human form. I don't know if he was full of shit, or you simply prefer the feel of hair."

"Ms. Jones, your room is ready."

She turned to the beautiful, red-headed elf girl. Grabbing her bag, she swung it over her shoulder and borderline skipped after the woman. "Does this place have a pool?"

The delicate, breath-taking elf tilted her head, staring at her with large, glowing green eyes. "Are you in need of a bath, Ms. Jones?"

A confused expression formed. "Do I stink?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, but all humans do. Do not fret, we will have water brought to your room, as well as something that smells less… _offensive_."

The woman turned, motioning her to follow her up the stairs. Vicky turned to Colton, a look of absolute horror and shock on her face. She mouthed the words "I stink?".

A male blood elf approached him. "Your room is ready, however, the city guard has asked if you could refrain from using your current form, as it upsets the citizens. We appreciate your compliance in this matter."

Colton growled. This was going to be hell.

* * *

Her bath felt wonderful. She sniffed at her arms. The smell of jasmine (they must have noticed her body spray), mixed with some sort of citrus, permeated her pores, leaving a long-lasting fragrance as it dissipated. They had provided her with some local wear, as her leather armor was being washed.

A dress, another dress…and a dress. Her eyebrows scrunched, looking at a dresser in the corner. She opened the drawers. "Ah ha! There you are pants."

They were a little tight, but usable. The neckline of her tunic was wide, but in the absence off bra straps, she had no need to cover her shoulders. She lopped a brown belt around her waist, and slipped on a pair of knee high brown boots.

She let her hair hang loose, the first time since before she arrived on this planet; it was still a little damp. They weren't required to meet her sponsor until later that day. Since they were part of the rival faction, they were given something akin to "recess", while being diligently monitored by mandatory chaperons, should they desire to travel anywhere within the city.

It could be worse. She could be chained to the wall in a dungeon.

Colton was in the room next to her, and she eyeballed the door that connected their rooms. Should she keep it open? Would he _want_ to have it open? Weren't they supposed to hunker down like this was some sort of covert operation?

She shrugged her shoulders, swinging the door open. Her eyes narrowed in on a man at a desk, writing on a piece of parchment with a quill. It was…

"Hey! What are _you_ doing here? Where's Colton?"

The blonde-haired man turned, looking at her with his intense blue eyes. "What do you think I'm doing?"

She crossed her arms on her chest. "Sitting in my friend's room."

"Your friend, hmm? That's a nice promotion from last time."

Her eyes narrowed. "Seriously, why are you here?"

He put his quill down, and placed his hands on the desk, pushing himself back. Standing up, he stretched, triggering a few pops from his spine. He leaned against the desk, his arms across his chest, mimicking her pose.

"Why am I here? Good question. Sometimes I find myself asking the same thing, especially when I wind up in a city full of pretentious elves."

She put her palm over her face, dragging it down as her eyes glanced to the ceiling. "Look, I'm just going to go find him myself. You might want to… _not_ be here when he gets back. He's been known to have a temper."

He laughed, standing up and walking over to one of his bags on the floor. Her attitude was endearing, if anything. "Good luck in your quest."

She slammed the door shut, irritated. The guy was obnoxious; always giving her vague answers. It was simple: where is Colton?

 _Simple_.

She opened her bedroom door, stepping out into the hallway. She'd start with the innkeeper.

* * *

"Were the dresses not to your liking?"

Vicky stopped mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow at the innkeeper. _What was wrong with this bitch?_

"Yeah, they're great. Look, have you seen him?"

Her glowing green eyes snapped to an even _younger_ looking girl at the side, cleaning some glasses. "Zaeda, I _instructed you_ to ensure our guest had the proper attire for this city. Were my orders not explicit enough?"

The girl trembled a bit, looking at Vicky, her eyes wide with fear. "Yes ma'am, yes you did. I provided what you asked."

The innkeeper waived her hands over Vicky's form. "Then why is she not _wearing one_."

Vicky panicked, grabbing the woman's hands. "Oh, no no! You are mistaken. I _loved_ them. They were so pretty I wasn't sure if I _should_ wear them. I wanted to thank you for such a wonderful gift. They are truly elegant, beyond whatever drab _human_ attire I've been forced into."

The innkeeper smiled, her eyes gleaming. Vicky spared a glance at the poor girl to the right. A wave of relief washed over her, and she went back to cleaning glasses. Vicky squeezed the innkeeper's hands. "I'm going to go put one on right now!"

She stepped back, nearly tripping over one of the magical brooms, which caused her to stumble up some of the stairs. She reached the sanctity of her room, shutting the door, as she leaned against it, sliding down.

"That was a short trip."

Her eyes shot open, as she focused in on the blonde intruder in her room, standing near her bed. They narrowed in on him.

"And you just walk into my room, because?"

He motioned to the door. "You walked into mine, unannounced. At least I had the courtesy to wait until you left."

She rolled her eyes, groaning as she stood up. She walked near him, staring at the articles of clothing on her bed. She put her hand on her hip.

"So, the Stepford Wife downstairs _insists_ that I be "properly clothed" in order to step foot into their precious city." She waived her hand over the dresses. "Which one? They all represent sexism in its finest form."

He chuckled. "The green."

"Perfect. Now, _get the fuck out_." She placed her hands on his back and pushed him through the side door, latching it behind him.

* * *

They were waiting for Archmage Aethas Sunreaver to arrive. She sat on the chair, scratching at her side. The dress _itched_.

On the other side of the room was the intruder. Colton was still MIA, and she had become tired of asking people where he was; receiving only a blank stare, or a glance to the irritating blonde that was following her around.

Her eyes narrowed on him. _Why was he here?_ _And, more importantly, where the fuck was Colton?_

"Staring is not very becoming, my dear."

"Hmph." She crossed her arms, looking the other way.

"You still haven't figure it out, have you?"

"Figured what out?"

A man dressed in dark, bulky armor, stepped in, and her jaw hit the floor. His staff and helmet radiated bright, purplish light; his shoulders glowing as well. He glanced to Vicky, and bowed.

"Welcome Ms. Jones! Kalec has wrote much about you. I am eager to see what we can discover."

She smiled, standing up and sticking her hand out. The armored man looked at her oddly, before reaching his hand out slowly. She grabbed it, giving it a few shakes, before dropping her arm. His hand lingered in the air for a few seconds, before he returned it to his side.

Colton watched with a raised eyebrow.

With introductions out of the way, he motioned them to follow him. She lingered behind, amazed in the decoration and the surreal feeling of the building they were in. Everything seemed like it, truly, was straight out of Fantasia. Eventually, he led them to a table, with various parchment spread out. She stepped next to the armored man, squinting her eyes as she tried to understand the strange symbols and diagrams in front of her.

"My associates believe that a large concentration of Ata'mal crystals exist off the shore you arrived on. However, upon further investigations, we found only hollowed, de-energized husks. This means that the power used to create your portal was immense. As for the focus…"

Her eyes wandered off, following a small, beautiful child that spun around in the hallway outside. She was giggling quietly, her green eyes focused on something behind the wall. Vicky saw a blue, wispy tail, glimmer and sparkle. Her head tilted to the side, attempting to peak around the edge. It was an ethereal, blue dragon; no bigger than a cat. The dragon circled around the child, as though it was her pet.

Something touched her arm, and she turned her head, seeing the blonde man next to her. His eyebrow was raised in questioning manner. She looked over her shoulder, noticing the Archmage was gone.

"He was summoned."

She looked back at the blonde. "Do we…leave?"

He gave her a charming smile, and offered her his hand. "Yes, my lady."

Her eyes narrowed on him, and her eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly, a large smile spread across her lips.

"I told you to quit calling me that, _my lord_."

* * *

She was in a long tunic, ending past her knees. The pants were too tight to wear to bed. They were also her only pair. A cold breeze drifted by her, and she looked down.

Her feet were cold.

The door between the rooms was closed. She hopped up, knocking a few times.

"Come in."

She opened the door slowly, peeking around the edge. He was sitting at the desk, writing again. She threw the door open and waived.

"Hey! I need to… _borrow some socks_." She chewed at the edge of her sleeve, looking around to see if she could locate anything.

"Top drawer, right side."

Skipping over, she yanked the top dresser open, sifting through the random pieces of clothign stashed in it. A pair of grey, wool socks were shoved in the back, and she swiped them, pushing the drawer shut and plopping on his bed to put them on.

She lifted her leg up, smiling at the thought of warm feet. Her eyes glanced up. He was staring at her, his palm and fingers resting along the lower part of his face. He had a smirk on his lips.

Her eyebrow raised. "Problems?"

He grinned. "Not at all."

She rolled her eyes, pulling the second sock up. She sat cross legged, the shirt gathered up in between, her knees being the only skin that poked through.

"Can you turn into a bear?"

He rolled his eyes, standing up from his chair towards the liquor tray. "No, I cannot _turn into a bear_."

She frowned. "Touchy subject?"

"A little."

Silence blanketed them. He took a large swig of the elven wine.

"I dreamt of you."

He spat the wine out, coughing and pounding on his chest. His watery eyes snapped to hers.

"I did not know your, what do you call it? _Race?_ Anyways, I didn't know Worgen could mutate."

" _Transform_ …" He was looking at her with an incredulous expression.

"Right. So in my dream, I watched as a man _transformed_ into you."

His eyes narrowed. "What did you see?"

She squinted hers, trying to remember the vague images of a dream months prior. "Everything was dying; the trees, the grass. The man fell on his knees; his skin splitting open while bones elongated. It was horrifying yet fascinating at the same time."

"You find that fascinating?"

She glanced up at him, a sly smile on her lips. "My profession is a medical examiner. I see corpses in various states, every day. It takes a lot to shock me."

"The druid's shape-shifting seemed to have done the trick." He gave her a devious smile.

"Yes, while gore does not shock me, things that should not be physical possible, do."

He walked to her, straightening his stance. "I am going to presume you wish to see how accurate your dream was to reality?"

Her smile remained. "Well, if you call this world _reality_ , then yes." She leaned forward, placing her head in her hands, as her elbows balanced on the edges of her knees. Her eyes were wide with excitement. " _By all means, my Lord._ "

He closed his eyes, focusing on the image of the scythe. The skin split, and he fell forward on his knees, groaning as the bones elongated. His hands were dug into his hair, helping to pull the skin to the side. His mouth extended, and teeth began to poke through. Some blood dripped on the floor. The first transformations of the day were typically the worst, as the skin would regenerate its elasticity over the night. However, this was unusual. Pain began to spread.

A few moments passed, and he blinked his eyes a few times, as his thoughts recollected themselves. He felt a warm hand on his arm. He blinked again; bare knees were to his left.

"Oh my god Colton, are you ok? You fell down." Vicky looked at her blood covered hands. "And you're bleeding…"

"This…isn't normal…" His breathing was still a little heavy. This transformation had taken a lot of effort; the blood elves must have something nearby to 'discourage' it.

She grimaced. "Okay, my curiosity is sated. I never want to see this again. It obviously hurts you." She stood up, grabbing some towels next to a bowl of water. She knelt in front of him again as she began to wash the blood off his skin.

"Christ…"

It was draining him to keep his worgen form. Those conniving sacks of…

"Vicky…I can't keep…" He screamed, as pain ripped through him. The scythe flashed, and he felt his human body reforming. Agony spiraled through his brain, and darkness claimed him.

* * *

He woke up in his bed. The flickering glow of a mage light near the night stand softly illuminated the room. He took in a deep breath; his body ached. His head slowly fell to the left.

Vicky was sitting in a chair; her upper torso leaning on the small stand, her head on her arm, fast asleep. Her tunic was covered in smears of blood, including her face. He reached out, hissing in the process; some of his skin was still raw.

She jarred awake, focusing on him. Slowly she stood up, walking next to him on the bed to take a seat. She grabbed his hand, moving his arm back to its original position. Her other hand ran a soothing motion down the side of his face, brushing some hair back.

"Hey there. How are you feeling?" Her voice was soft, motherly. It was something he would have never expected to see from _her_ , above all people.

"Terrible." He couldn't even lie. He glanced around his body on the bed, noticing his arms were clean, and he was wearing a different tunic. She smiled, noticing his confusion.

"You passed out. I hope you don't mind, but I took liberties in changing you out of your bloodied garments. I promise, I didn't look." She leaned up, making a crossing motion across her left breast. His eyebrow raised.

"Well, _a lot_ , at least. I am human, after all." She gave him a devious grin, and he laughed weakly.

"You…put me…on the bed?" He tried sitting up, and felt her press against him.

"Noticed my shirt, eh?" She chuckled, flexing her right arm. "These guns aren't just for show, you know." She snorted, laughing at herself. "No, seriously, it was good you were asleep, because I'm pretty sure I gave myself a hernia."

"What is a hernia?"

She resumed to slowly caressing the side of his face. It seemed to calm him. "It's a rip, or tear, in your abdominal wall. Usually caused by overexertion."

He closed his eyes, taking a few, deep breaths. His hand raised, and a blue light began to glow. He spread it over his head, down as far as he could reach. His healing was immediate, and his eyes opened, as he sat up. He gently grabbed her hands, pushing her back.

"It's fine, I no longer need to rest." He dropped her hands, glancing around the room; she had cleaned up any remnants of his failed transformation. His eyes looked at the door to her room; it was locked, with a tilted chair wedged under the handle. She followed his gaze.

"I heard noises…like, people in there. I didn't know what to do. I am not a fighter." He glanced at her; her eye sockets were dark, almost black.

"How long have I been out for?"

"Since yesterday afternoon."

He pulled her forward, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Stay here and sleep. I'll be awake. It does no good to be exhausted."

She froze a little, pulling back. His thumb rubbed across her knuckles, and he gave her a sweet, reassuring smile. "I promise I won't bite… _hard_."

She chuckled, her eyelids slowly falling closed, as she struggled to stay awake. Before she knew it, she was tucked at his side, blissfully asleep.

He let himself rest in an upright position, his arm still around her. It was better that they stay in the same room from this point on wards. His ears picked up the low voices of elves below him. While they had successfully blocked his worgen form, he still maintained heightened senses within his human form.

 _"_ _We found nothing."_

* * *

Vicky was sitting in the bathtub in Colton's room. A makeshift series of pinned up blankets sectioned off a small area of privacy. She let out a long sigh, dipping further into the blissful water.

"You're okay with us being roommates?"

He was sitting at the desk, writing an update back to Shaw. The decoder was in front of him, as he initialed the various letters needed to send his superior enough information about what had transpired. "You have been living in my house for two months, on a cot."

Her eyes narrowed on his silhouette behind the sheet. "Yes, so nice of you to offer _your guest_ the pleasure of sleeping on something one step up from a wooden board."

He chuckled, placing the quill down. He slipped his decoder back into a hidden slot of his priest's tome. He kept it with him at all times, even though it had been many years since he had set foot in the cathedral in Stormwind.

His hands ran over his eyes. It bothered him; his inability to transform. It was against _his nature_ …perverted. The motivations as to _why_ they would insist on such measures only made him more uneasy.

He heard some small splashes of water behind him. "Hey, Colton…can I ask you a question?"

He sighed. "Yes, and that was a question in itself."

She snorted. "Nice, smartass. Anyways, I wondered…can all humans here change into wolves?"

The wooden chair creaked as he stood up, heading towards the liquor tray. He picked up the bottle of wine, seeing that it was almost empty. He frowned. "No, the curse only affected the population of Gilneas."

"Okay…so can all _Gilneans_ change?"

He chugged the remaining contents of the bottle, and began rummaging in the cupboards for more. "No, only those that were bitten. Roughly, a quarter of the population. My sister, for example, is one."

"How did she take the news of your puppy form?"

" _Worgen_ form, and not very well. She hasn't spoken to me in years."

Vicky scoffed. As if someone had a choice in being bit by rabid, wolfish psychopaths…

"I'm sorry, Colton. If it makes you feel any better, I prefer your _worgen_ self."

He smirked, looking towards the sheets. " _Really_ …when you saw me the first time in the mage's tower, your _brain waves_ were telling a different story."

She grimaced, blushing at the same time. "Well…this is embarrassing. So glad I'm currently naked in the middle of said man's room."

He laughed, turning back to task at hand. His hand brushed across something cold, and he heard the familiar clinking of glass. He grinned, pulling out an unopened bottle of wine. He blew the dust off, tugging at the cork. "Want any wine?"

"Are you trying to get me drunk?"

He laughed, again. "Not in the context that you are referring to."

A hissing sound emanated from behind the sheets. "Ouch…I know I'm not from here, and we're surrounded by breath-taking elves, but… _damn_."

He rolled his eyes, filling a tumbler and picking it up with his fingertips. "You mistake my comments, _Ms. Kardashian,_ I do not make it a habit to have _physical relations_ with my charges." He moved the sheet aside, turning his head back, as he blindly stuck his arm out towards her direction. He felt her hand grab it, and he stepped away, letting the makeshift curtain fall back to its previous position.

"Thank you. Also, what do you mean, _habit_? You've banged damsels in distress before?"

He snorted. "If by 'banged' you mean intercourse, the answer is a resounding _no_. Also, the last, and only, charge I had was a troll."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she stared at the contents of her cup. _This shit tastes incredible_. She tilted her head back, downing the rest of it. "Troll, as in the 'sit under the bridge and collect money' type?"

He glanced back in her direction. "The _what_?"

She snorted, the alcohol quickly coursing through her veins. It gave her a warm, relaxed feeling, and she sighed in contentment. She clinked the glass on the edge of tub. "Waiter, I'd like another, if you would be so kind."

"Not while you're in the tub. I don't want you drowning."

He heard the splash of water, and suddenly she appeared from behind the sheets; a towel loosely wrapped around her. Her feet were leaving small puddles as she headed towards the bottle on the tray. He stepped over, snatching it out of her hands. She jumped up a bit, as he held it over her head.

Her eyes widened, and she glanced at his crotch. "Remember what happened the last time you pissed me off?"

He stared at her, then slowly lowered his hand, letting her snatch the wine bottle. She immediately downed a large gulp, using the back of her hand to wipe the little bit that dripped on her chin. "Good boy."

He growled at her, turning around to rummage through the cupboards once more. His hands felt the thin neck of another bottle, and he dragged it out, popping the cork.

Vicky stumbled, heading back to the folded pile of clothes she dragged over from her room. She blinked a few times, seeing double of everything. Her eyes glanced at the bottle in her hand.

"Thish…shtuff…it's, um…more potent, than ushual?" She blinked a few more times, stumbling to take a seat on the bed.

Colton had the bottle tipped back, downing a few good-sized gulps. He dragged the bottle away from his lips, now stained red. "Yep." He hiccuped. He leaned up against the wall, finding himself sliding down the edge, crashing onto the floor. He laughed.

Vicky was struggling in getting a dress over her head. She had given up on the pair of newly ripped pants at her feet. She got the dress mostly down, then laid back on the bed, cradling her bottle of wine. She took a sip, most of it spilling on the white gown. She snickered.

"That bitch downstairs is gonna have a field day with this stain." She laughed again.

Colton glanced up at the female on the bed. If the blood elves were attempting to break in her room, it was probably a bad idea for both of them to be drunk at the same time. He reluctantly placed the bottle on the floor next to him, and put his head in his palm. A blue light began to glow, as he attempted to cure himself of his current drunkenness.

After a few minutes, he felt the last of it disappear, and he frowned, letting the back of his head smack against wall. He glanced back up to his charge on the bed. She had spilled the bottle on the floor, trying to get it on the table. Her snores began to fill the room, and he groaned.

* * *

He had an assassin held by the throat, their counterpart dead at his feet; the throat tore open. Vicky was standing in the doorway gripping a leg from one of the chairs she broke over the assassin's head.

They had slipped in her vacant room. The dummy body on her bed had a few knife wounds near where her chest and face would have been. He snarled, his tongue licking the blood off his teeth. The attack had forced his transformation. His skin still burned, bleeding at the tears from its reluctance to stretch. _It had been painful..._

"Who sent you?"

The blood elf gasped, grasping in desperation at the iron grip of the worgen on his throat. All that came were gurgles. The sound of something snapping followed, and Colton felt the body go limp. He threw it on the floor in anger.

"Search their bodies for clues. Anything."

She rolled her eyes; even on a different planet, she couldn't get away from work. "Let me get some gloves."

He watched in curiosity as she dragged her bag out from under the bed. A few strange items appeared, followed by a very, _very_ thin pair of gloves. The material was something he had never seen. She blew into them, and they inflated like a balloon. Stretching them over her hands, she snapped the ends, then walked back over to corpse on the floor.

"I will need a bag for personal belongings." Her eyes were scanning the body in front of her while her hand motioned towards Colton.

"What are you talking about, woman?"

"We will be stripping the bodies. You might want your other form. I only have large-sized gloves."

A thick mist began to surround his body, and his human form emerged shortly after. Vicky didn't even glance up; she was busy looking over the first cadaver on the floor. Colton knelt beside her, struggling to pull the strange gloves over his hands. His skin was raw, with small trails of blood that he wiped away. He would bandage it later.

She began to disrobe the elf, who was lying face down in a pool of blood.

"Is this what you did…on your world?"

"Yes." Vicky was focused on a very odd series of bumps towards the lower base of the spine. They appeared to have gone through the first stages of healing, but the redness was still visible. "I am a medical examiner, employed by the city of Chicago. I travel to the various districts, as needed."

Her fingers rubbed over the injection sites, causing some small amount of blood to smear. "This man…" She looked at the pointed ears. "Err, _elf,_ had recently received injections into his lower spine. Is that a common practice here?"

She glanced up. Colton's blue eyes stared at her in confusion.

"I am going to assume ' _no'_. He may have been drugged, then. However, I cannot confirm that without pulling a full blood panel. That is, simply, something that is not available _here_." She leaned back, motioning towards him. "Help me flip him over."

Colton grabbed the shoulders, roughly pulling the blood elf on his back. His eyes immediately glancing at the rigid extremity, flopping to the side. He looked at his female companion with nervous eyes.

She waived her hand in a dismissive motion. "Rigor mortis. Happens all the time…"

She peeled the eyelids back, noticing the constriction of the pupils. "I had gone to medical school with the intent of becoming a cardiologist. However, after my first residency, I found that I disliked dealing with patients. Dead patients, however, don't complain."

She laughed, looking up at him. His face was completely horrified.

"Anyways, there are many ways someone can die, or be murdered, which may not detectable upon first glance. That is where I come in. I help victims find the justice they deserve, by discovering the story of how they died."

"You're a necromancer…"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What the fuck is a necromancer? Is that like a necrophiliac? That's disgusting, and wrong, on so many levels."

She rotated the elf's head, moving his hair to the side and brushing her finger behind his ear lobe, feeling for anything out of the ordinary…besides the pointed, elongated cartilage. Colton snatched her hand.

"Do you have no decency?" The words fell out of his mouth, dripping with disdain.

"What is your problem? I'm feeling for abrasions, you idiot." She jerked her hand out of his grasp, resuming her examination. "You would be amazed at the shit I've seen people do, or _have done_ , to their bodies."

"An elf's ears are private; only those that they are intimate with are given permission to touch them."

She felt something odd, and pulled the ear away from their skull. "For one, that's ridiculous, because it's merely excess cartilage. Secondly, it looks like our friend here was _quite intimate_ with someone."

Colton leaned in, tilting his head to the side to get a better view. A small tattoo was along the backside of the blood elf's ear. Inked in a vibrant purple, it was a symbol he had never seen.

"Can you draw? You better notify your superiors. I am no detective, but my gut instinct tells me that this is not good. Either a hardcore, xenophobic gang, or a fanatical cult." Her face grimaced at the blood still seeping out on the floor. "Let me go get the inn keeper. I'm sure she'll be _thrilled_."


	4. Chapter 4

Her new escort rippled in front of her. Word of their attack spread like wildfire, and the Archmage had taken it upon himself to ensure her protection. It came in the form of a…blob.

" _I am your new guardian."_ She was standing at Colton's door, her hair stuck up on one side.

"Coffee, black, and thanks." The door shut in its face.

"Who was that?" A harsh, gravelly voice emanated from the bed. Vicky had constructed quite the wall of pillows, inadvertently pushing him to the farthest reaches of the mattress during the early morning hours. She grinned.

"A giant, animated blob of Orange Crush. Do you think I'll actually get coffee?"

"Doubt it."

As if on cue, the arcane servant seeped through the cracks, reforming into its familiar cone shape. It stopped moving, and began to hover in the air in the corner. A static-like vacuum sound surrounded it, and Vicky heard a few pops. Her eyebrow raised, and she looked back at Colton, who was walking past her, towards the door. His eyes were half-way open, with dark bags lining the underneath.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a piss. Maybe go sleep in a chair downstairs, where I don't have to worry about someone kicking me in the privates."

Laughter began to fill the room, and he slammed the door shut.

* * *

Her _guardian_ shimmered as a small elven child tried touching the wispy, orange vapors that seemed to be _it_. Vicky was in the back of a local version of a bar, which was located on the opposite side of the plaza where her residence was.

Mingan and Biznel were across the table from her. Her eyes followed the magical twists and turn of the self-propelled broomstick that floated by.

"A tattoo on the back of their ear lobe? How peculiar. The needle marks you mentioned are also very uncommon, even more so for elves. They do not easily cave into the destructive pleasures known more to man." Mingan was stroking his goatee; a recent addition, as he felt it helped to increase their sales.

"I lack all of my equipment and resources. It's not like I can wait around for a toxicology report, then deduce a cause of death." She scratched her head. "Well, cause of death was his neck being snapped."

"How do you know that, toots?"

"I watched Colton do it." An odd silence fell on the trio. Vicky took a large gulp of her beverage; it tasted like sprite mixed with blue raspberry. A couple of blood elves walked near their table, their faces scrunched up in disgust when looking in her direction. She frowned.

"You were right, Biznel. They're as shallow as a puddle in the middle of the desert."

"Yep." Biznel glanced behind the red-head's shoulders, seeing her disgruntled chaperon walk in. He was in his human form. No doubt, the elves were not about to let a wolf run wild in their precious city. Bandages were wrapped around his arms.

"What happened to your wolf, toots?"

Vicky turned, waiving at Colton, who began to head in their direction. "He's having problems mutating, and thinks that the elves placed something nearby that represses it."

Mingan stroked his goatee again. "Silvermoon has deep ties to the Forsaken, little one. The Forsaken's sworn enemies are those of Gilneas. It would not be out of the question for the blood elves to assure their undead citizens that the worgen was under control."

Vicky frowned, biting the side of her bottom lip. "I think…we need to get out of here. While the Archmage seems like a pretty good guy, I get nothing but shady vibes from the rest of the folks here."

Biznel snorted, waiving his hand at her dismissively. "That's just blood elves in general. You get used to it. Even the attempts at assassination. However, they do pay well, and rarely argue against prices." His eyes narrowed on Mingan. "Which _are_ fair, and take into account inflation."

Mingan snorted. "You are price gouging these poor people. You should have more dignity than that."

"If it were up to you, we'd be living in a tent in nothing but our underwear."

Mingan took a large puff of his pipe, letting the smoke slowly release in the shape of small rings. "As the Earth Mother intended. The need for material goods in life is unfulfilling, my friend."

Biznel shook his head. "No way. I can't find anything better than cruising in a sweet trike with my arm around a good-looking chick."

Vicky smiled. Out of everyone she had met on this planet, these two were, by far, her favorite people. In fact, they were better than most of her friends back in her world.

Colton sat down, and Vicky immediately noticed the bandages around his arms. She glanced up at him, concern in her eyes. He shook his head, signaling that he did not want to discuss it. A gorgeous elf stopped by, leaning in close to him.

"What piques your interest?" She winked at him. Vicky rolled her eyes.

"Stormstout. In a mug."

She nodded, swinging her hips as she made her way to the bar. Colton's eyes followed the motion.

"It's rude to stare."

He turned, looking at Vicky. She was looking straight ahead, taking another sip of her drink.

"Perhaps I am simply enjoying the scenery." A devious smile formed on his lips.

She scoffed, pushing herself away from the table. While it shouldn't bother her, she found that it did… _a lot_. "I think I'll go for a walk." She turned, quickly heading out the bar, the amorphous blob of energy following close behind.

Mingan and Biznel both glanced at each other. The large tauren stood. "I believe I shall join her. Enjoy, my friends." Biznel raised his cup, going back to scribbling in his sales ledger. They had brought in a large bit of gold for the day, and he had to agree…the goatee was good luck.

The waitress brought the mug of ale back, leaning over the two males at the table. "Oh, your other friends left? What a pity…" She winked at Colton, who simply ignored her, as his eyes feasted on the delicious mug in front of him.

* * *

"Ms. Jones, may I speak with you." The haughty voice sounded from the other side of the door. Vicky was shaking her hair dry from a recent bath; her red hair falling about her shoulders in waves. She opened the door to find the inn keeper staring at her with a rigid posture.

"My apologies to bother you, my lady, but it appears your _companion_ has gotten himself into a small bind. It has been requested that his closest of kin come to retrieve him, or that he is taken to the dungeons."

Vicky's eyebrow raised, and she crossed her arms, leaning on the door frame. She had bought herself a pair of better fitting pants, after accidentally ripping the too small ones. She nodded for the inn keeper to continue.

"He is currently at the Silvermoon City Inn, which is located in the southern district of the city."

She gave her a confused look. "Why'd he go all the way out there?"

"The previous establishment kindly asked him to remove himself from their premise, after he threatened to burn down the building for failing to stock enough Stormstout Ale."

Vickly groaned, running her hand over her face. She glanced behind her, motioning for OC to follow. She leaned over, snatching a large bag of gold off the table. "I have a feeling I might need this."

* * *

Vicky was speaking to Velandra, the innkeeper of the Silvermoon City Inn. While the woman was of a much better disposition than _the bitch_ back at their residence, she was visibly upset, and _not_ in a good mood.

"He came in here, breaking my aunt's vase. Do you realize how long that has been in the family? Five…hundred…centuries…"

Vicky had dumped the entire bag of gold on the table. She had her arms crossed in front of her, grabbing her elbows with her hands. A look of absolute embarrassment covered her face.

"Ma'am, I am truly sorry. I promise to cover for all damages incurred."

"It was a family heirloom!" Velandra shouted at her, tears forming around her green glowing eyes. One of the guards turned looked in their direction. Vicky's cheeks reddened even more.

"I…I am so sorry…I don't know what to do."

Valendra flicked her wrist in her direction, turning away from Vicky. "You and _your companion_ have done enough. Take your Alliance filth someplace else, and get out of my sight." She watched as the elven woman knelt in front of the shattered remains of the vase, quietly sobbing. Vicky's stomach churned. She turned, her eyes set on the entrance.

 _You're fucking dead, boy._

She walked up in between two guards, stepping in front of Colton. He was leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, an irritated look on his flushed face. "This is absolutely ridiculous." He looked at Vicky. "Oh great, _it's you_. Come to ask more idiotic questions?"

Vicky blinked. Her face held no expression, as she merely looked at her drunken _guardian_. She turned, nodding towards the guards.

"Take him to the dungeons. Perhaps a few days there will cool him off."

The guards slightly bowed, moving past her as they seized each of Colton's arms. He immediately jerked back. "Let go of me you rejected highborne trash."

"You are under arrest."

Colton looked at Vicky. A look of absolute panic flashed behind his blue eyes. "Get me out of this!"

She shrugged her shoulders, as she turned, walking back to their room. A tear fell, and she wiped it away, as she heard his shouts die in the background behind her.

* * *

Biznel was behind her. They were descending the stairs down to the elves' version of a dungeon. Even when they were trying to make something look morbid and depressing, it still was beautiful. Her goblin friend was bickering.

"Why do I have to come?"

"Because you let him drink way too much. Scratch that, you _encouraged_ him to. Then you let him wander off."

He scoffed. "And who told you that? Mingan?"

Vicky stopped, looking down at him with an irritated expression. "No, the one waitress, who smacked you in the face when you tried to grab her ass."

Biznel closed his mouth.

They passed various cells before coming across the final one at the end, on the right. She stepped up to the bars, squinting as she tried to make out any silhouettes in the darkness. She had left him here for two days. She would have left him indefinitely, had it not been for the Archmage himself. He had _insisted_ that Colton be removed from the dungeons.

Something to do with uneasy politics between the factions, and some other bullshit she didn't care about. She scowled slightly, thinking back to what he said to her a few nights ago.

A rustling movement resonated from the corner, and she saw his hands slowly grip the bars. His face came into view. His eyes were red; his face covered in dirt. She leaned back, her eyes watering as she placed her hand over her nose.

"Jesus Christ, you smell."

He let his head hit the bars in a resounding thud. Vicky frowned; he looked so pathetic. She stood straight, putting her hands on her hips.

"So…what did we learn from all this?"

Silence came from the cell. She glanced to Biznel; the goblin waved at her from the entrance. She rolled her eyes. _Useless…_

A strangled whimper came from the man in front of her. She held her breath, leaning in, looking up underneath at his face. Was he _crying_?

"Hey…hey now, it's okay. I'm here to take you home." She reached through the bars, grabbing his shoulders, working her hands around to his back. She made small, circular motions. "It'll be fine. Everything will be fine."

He began to sob, and reached through, snatching her around the waist, pulling her flush against the bars. She grimaced from the cold contact of metal, as well as the uncomfortable position of being splattered against a prison door. Her hands worked their way to his face, and she pushed some of his greasy hair out of the way. He looked _awful_.

"Okay, _we are out of here_. Guards!"

* * *

While she was still pissed from his actions from the other day, she had also felt bad at the state she had found him in. She sat at the desk, playing solitaire from cards she had created herself. They were made from parchment, which proved to be difficult when attempting to shuffle. Colton had been sitting in a chair, staring out the window, in silence… _for the entire day_.

 _At least he bathed._

She had found his decoder in a hidden compartment in the bible he toted around (seriously, they had no skill with secrecy on this planet). In his absence, she had penned a letter to Shaw. A knock on the door sounded, and she jumped up to answer it. A small, elven boy stood in front of her, a letter in his hand.

"Ms. Jones. A letter from Stormwind." She smiled, reaching into her pocket to take out a gold piece. The boy's eyes lit up. "Thank you, ma'am!" He sprinted off down the stairs.

She chuckled, breaking the seal on the letter as she shut the door with her foot. It was from Shaw. This time it was written straight forward. She glanced over the text.

" _Ms. Jones._

 _I must commend you on discovering the secrets of a high-ranking agent. Perhaps I should extend an opportunity of employment to one such as yourself?"_

She rolled her eyes.

 _"We feel that it is best for you to return to Stormwind. An escort will be there in three days' time from penning this letter. The Archmage has informed us that he is unable to assist you further, and is currently involved with maintaining the balance of the portals to our new, joint war effort on the Broken Isles._

 _Please have your belongings, as well as Atherton's, ready for transport._

 _Regards,_

 _Shaw"_

Her eyebrows scrunched, and she walked over to Colton's bible, hitting the necessary buttons for the hidden drawer to pop open from the back cover. She took out the decoder, lying it on the first sentence. Her make-shift notepad on the side began to fill up, and she finished, glancing to the new message.

 _"The Archmage will portal you at dusk. Urgent."_

She looked out the window, seeing the sun beginning to set. Her eyes scanned around their room, and she ran over, grabbing her bag, throwing it on the bed. Colton snapped out of his trance, looking at her with a confused expression.

"Pack your shit, we have to leave, **_now_** _._ "

* * *

The Archmage was standing in front of some globe on a golden, curved stand. He quickly motioned them over.

"I am truly sorry, Ms. Jones. I find myself unable to protect you in my city, not with our forces stretched so thin."

Vicky frowned.

"Your letter was a decoy. There is a small caravan of soldiers, disguised as your escort. We will take care of what we can. However, you cannot return to Stormwind, as it is forbidden for me to create portals into enemy territory."

"Enemy territory?"

She heard a sigh. "It would take too long to explain. Perhaps, once current events calm down, I can welcome you back to my homeland. Until then, please take care of yourself, Vicky. There are others who know of you, and their intentions are sinister." He reached out, giving her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

A vibrant portal formed behind him, giving off an eerie buzz. She nodded at the Archmage. "Thanks, I appreciate this." She went to step forward, feeling a large hand hold her back.

"Where are we going?" Colton's voice was cracked and weak.

"Shattrath."

Vicky had shrugged his hand off, and disappeared into the portal.

"New or old?"

The Archmage motioned him to follow her; the portal was near its life span. "Old."

He took a few more moments, prepping himself to revisit an area where he last saw _her_. The portal cracked, dissipating, the image of Vicky with it.

"Bring it back!"

The Archmage scrambled, reaching out to focus the spell. Nothing came. _His mana was drained_.

Aethas grabbed for his staff, a whirlwind of energy surrounding him. "Prepare yourself worgen, _we have visitors_." A green light flashed from his hand, circling Colton. His skin stretching at an accelerated rate, his transformation being forced. Blood splattered across the room, and he licked his mouth, the beast eager to feast.

* * *

Vicky grabbed at the strap of her bag. A tall, Draenei woman nodded towards her.

"Welcome to Shattrath City."

Some giant, 3D symbol was floating in the middle of the large, dome shaped amphitheater. A giant saber-tooth looking cat slowly walked towards her, taking a seat a few feet in front of her. Its sides were painted with a vibrant, orange color; the mane was also orange, sporting a healthy amount of volume to rival any haircut from the 80s. Her eyebrow raised.

She looked over her shoulder. "Hey Colton, look at-"

He wasn't there. _The portal was gone_.

"Oh shit…"

She heard a deep snicker, and turned back to the cat. Except, there was no longer a cat there. Her eyes slowly followed upwards, her neck tilting back until she was staring roughly 7 feet in the air.

"We been expectin ya, girl."

 _He has tusks. They're huge._

"Are you going to kill me?"

He laughed, a long line of spit falling from his mouth. She noticed that his earlobes and eyebrows were full of piercings. Her eyes widened, and her gaze fell to his-

"No girl, Raj rid himself of da bloodlust, long ago." His red eyes glanced up and down at the human in front of him. "Although, I admit, ya be lookin quite tasty."

Her eyes narrowed. "Humans are not very nutritious. Our diet is poor."

Raj reached out, gripping her shoulder. She stared at his giant, three-fingered hand in awe.

"I'm gonna like ya, I can tell. Come."

He began to walk away, and she nervously grabbed at her strap, looking behind her one last time.

 _I'm sure he'll be here soon._

* * *

"Was all the bloodshed _necessary_?"

Rommath aimed his staff at the floor, causing a large pool of blood to vaporize, leaving the decorative rug spotless.

Aethas kicked one of the assassins over. A tail of a draenei appeared.

" _Interesting_."

Rommath rolled his eyes, walking near the Archmage. "This is what we get for granting favors to the blue dragonflight. Kalecgos is far too trusting…too easily manipulated."

"His is also one of our greatest allies. You above all, should know this, Grand Magister."

Rommath caught a glimpse of the blue tail. He glanced to Aethas. "A Draenei… _here_?"

The Archmage nodded slowly. He waived his hand over the corpse, and a blue glow began shimmer on the skin.

"They're being controlled." The blue glow suddenly disappeared. "By someone, _or something_ , keen on remaining anonymous."

Rommath stepped over a mangled blood elf, their throat having been torn out.

"And the dog? Where is he?"

Aethas slowly stepped back, heading towards the entrance. "He is traveling on foot. Whatever has affected his curse, is having an adverse effect on our portals, as well." He waived at Rommath to follow. "Come, we depart for Dalaran, immediately."

* * *

Colton groaned. He was sitting on the back of Fiona's wagon, heading towards Light Hope's Chapel. The tauren put a large hand on his shoulder, giving it a friendly squeeze.

"My sister still asks about you, dear. Are you going to write her?"

Colton's teeth flashed, followed by a low growl. _This is unbearable_. "No."

"What did you say? I can't hear you from up here."

He sighed, irritated. The goblin was at the front of the carriage, next to Fiona, helping her steer the horses.

"So what brings you this way?"

Biznel piped up. "Well, Mingan and I made a _killing_ in Silvermoon, but now we need to restock. Wolf-boy back there lost his girlfriend, so-"

She yanked on the reigns, causing the goblin to fall off his seat. Colton and Mingan crashed against the wooden wall of the cart. His ears twitched, as he heard the angry footsteps of their driver heading towards him.

"How dare you treat my sister this way!" A mouthful of angry teeth appeared, and Colton instantly jerked back.

"Treat her like what?!"

Mingan rolled his eyes, reaching for his pipe.

"You left her in Shattrath, heartbroken…and now you've run off with some other… _woman_."

He growled. He knew this would come up. Fiona was oblivious to her sister's nature, not to mention her reputation, _or lack thereof_. He had slept with her once, but then again, _who hasn't_?

He simply had the misfortune of being caught.

"I didn't _leave_ her heartbroken. And contrary to what the goblin says, the woman in question I am responsible for. She is without protection, and it is imperative that I reach her as soon as possible." He leaned towards the worgen woman. "Which means, _we get going_."

Fiona growled, sharply turning from him and back to the carriage. The goblin next to her was rubbing the back of his head, groaning. "Geeze toots, if you can't drive, give a fella a head's up next time."

* * *

Vicky was propped up on a floor pillow, in a bar in the lower district of the alien city. Apparently, she was on an entirely new planet. What was even better, was that the planet had exploded, and she was living on the floating chunks of land masses, magically suspended in space.

It seemed like complete bullshit. She took a swig of her fruity cocktail.

It appeared that the 007 network that Colton belonged to had ties with something akin to the EPA…on steroids. Shaw had an inclination that Aethas would send her here, and had reached out to the Cenarion Circle ahead of time, just in case.

A squirrel was asleep on her lap, and she scratched behind its ears. _She didn't mind, she loved animals_.

"My lady, I would be honored to hear more of your world."

She glanced to the elf across the table. She had seen night elves in passing; the trade routes between their capital and the Exodar were extensive. However, she had never really seen one _up close_.

His ethereal, white eyes gazed on her. Dark, twilight blue hair hung down, highlighting the sharp accents of his face. He was wearing a sort of brown vest, and his muscular arms would flex on occasion.

She was pretty sure she would slide off the pillow at any moment.

"What would you like to know?" The squirrel stretched, releasing a tiny squeak as it yawned.

"Are most like you?"

Her eyebrow raised. "As in?"

"Without magic, my lady."

"Ah, yes. There is no magic. The laws of physics apply. None of this." She made a circular motion at a broom that floated by. The movement woke the squirrel, and it jumped off her lap, scampering out the door. She frowned.

"Would you care for me to teach you how to harness the energies of this world?"

She looked at the gorgeous elf with half-lidded yes. _My god, yes, you can do whatever you want with me._

Just then, a beautiful elven woman showed up at their table. The squirrel was on her shoulder, chattering away. She turned to Vicky, giving her a gracious bow.

"Elune-Adore."

She walked to the night elf male, leaning over to place a kiss on his lips. Vicky frowned, looking away. _Damn_.

She leaned in, whispering something in his one of his long ears. He nodded, standing up. "Excuse us, my friends, it appears that some of the local wildlife are experiencing a small inconvenience. Please, enjoy yourselves." He bowed, following after the beautiful elven woman.

A cloud of smoke smacked her in the face, and she coughed, waiving it out of her vicinity. "Seriously, do you _have_ to smoke that indoors?"

A large mouth with two sets of elongated fangs, appeared. "Ah, mon, don't be denyin ole Raj here his pleasures. Ya better half, Colton, he quit da pipe?"

Her eyebrow raised. "If by 'better half' you mean, 'person paid to babysit me', then yes, I guess so. Never seen him use one."

Raj laughed, coughing a bit. "Me and 'em go back. Tis been a long time since I seen da boy."

"Y'all worked together or something?"

He took another puff of his pipe. "Ya could say that…yeah…" He slowly exhaled, making small rings of smoke. "Ya either workin together or against each otha in war."

Someone was causing a ruckus at the front of the bar. "So this is the _human tramp_ that has her claws in my man."

Vicky grinned, looking over her shoulder at the eminent drama fixing to boil over in the bar. Her eyes were wide with excitement, as she glanced around for signs of movement. All she saw was a worgen female walking towards her.

Raj blew a large cloud of smoke, eyeing the woman with caution.

" _You…_ " The woman snarled, bearing her teeth.

Vicky looked to each side of her, seeing only Raj and an empty chair. She pointed to herself. "Me?"

Suddenly, a mouthful of sharp canines was about an inch away from her nose. She leaned back, her eyes the size of saucers.

"You think you have anything to offer him? You're not even a Gilnean. Just common-" She sniffed, stopping to look at her with a questioning expression. "Goodness girl, _what are you_?"

Vicky sniffed at her shirt, glancing around nervously. "Um…human?"

The worgen's eyes narrowed on her. A grayish mist formed around her, and curvaceous, blonde appeared from where the wolf had been. Her vibrant blue eyes glanced down at Vicky. She sneered.

"You are rather plain. He must have lost his mind."

Vicky blinked. She looked over at Raj, who was in his own world of smoking the weed in his pipe. "What the fuck are you talking about? Jesus lady, I'm not even from here."

The blonde mouthed the words, confusion written on her face. She shook her head, narrowing her eyes back on Vicky. "Atherton. He's _mine_."

Vicky's eyes fell to the side, thinking. "Oh! Colton. Okay, that's cool. Sorry, he's never mentioned his wife." She shrugged, taking a swig of her fruity drink. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yeah, he's being paid to watch me." She looked around the table. "Obviously, he's doing a _great_ job, at the moment, since no one knows where he is."

" _Wife_?" The blonde began laughing hysterically. Vicky nudged Raj with her foot, jerking her head towards the mentally imbalanced female in front of them. She looked closer at his eyes. _He was stoned_.

The woman finally quit, fanning her reddened face, as she calmed down from her own amusement. She looked back at Vicky. "He will be showing up soon, I have no doubt. I insist on joining your…" She looked at Raj's face. " _Associates…_ while you wait."

Vicky frowned, raising an eyebrow. "That depends. Are you going to keep accusing me of fucking your husband?"

She mouthed the words again, confusion returning to her face. "I suppose...no?"

Vicky padded on the pillow next to her, leaning up to snatch an empty cup up from the center of the table. "Then have a seat, and try this shit. _It's fabulous_."

* * *

The flight from Hellfire was always rough, no matter which form he used. He had not been back to this crumbling cesspool since the days of Arthas. The griffin screeched, as it flew by a nest of ravagers. He jerked on the reigns, keeping its path directed towards Shattrath.

His nerves were shot; he had no idea if she was still alive. She didn't seem to possess much common sense, and was far too trusting of everyone she met.

He was also still ashamed from what had transpired in Silvermoon. His tolerance for a drink was not what it had been during the last war. The memories of what had happened to him had flooded his mind that night. He honestly had no idea what had happened. All he knew was that he woke up in the dungeons, on his knees and heaving into a bucket. A day later Vicky came. The look on her face said it all.

He landed in the city, quickly jumping off the mount and into the streets. He ran into the central plaza, towards the portals. The Draenei mage directed him towards the lower district. He panicked, sprinting on all fours. The lower city was home to all sorts of cut throats and deranged beings, just waiting to prey on a clueless girl…

"Atherton…it's been a while, mon."

Colton stumbled, as he attempted to stop his momentum. His head swung around.

"Zulrajas."

"So it be. Come. It be appearin as though we found somethin ya lost."

Colton followed Raj into the tavern. Memories rose, as he glanced around, noticing that not much had changed. He had been stationed in Shattrath towards the peak of the war in Northerend, as a scout for potential recruits. It was a short duration, only lasting six months, before he was shipped off to Icecrown.

Raj continued towards a back table, hidden behind a thick curtain. Colton stepped up, pulling it back. A growl escaped his throat.

"Wow, so y'all been married for five years? That's awesome. It must be rough with the long-distan-"

" _Regina_ …what do you think you're doing?"

The blonde turned, a devious smile on her lips. "Why, hello, _darling_."

Vicky turned, a generally happy expression. "Colton! Hey, look who I met." She pointed to Regina, a brilliant smile on her face. "You never told me you were married, you _sly dog_." She winked.

"We be in da usual place." Raj picked up his pipe, turning to leave Colton to deal with the mess before him. _It was ruining his buzz_.

Colton reached out, grabbing Vicky by her arm and pulling her up from her pillow. She staggered a bit, slightly drunk from the numerous cocktails she had consumed over the night. She smacked his hand.

"Hey, man. _Chill_. I'mma go find Raj. See if he'll share some of that weed. Y'all have fun, make up…" She belched. "Have sex, or whatever." She stumbled forward, tripping on the pillow. He caught her, lifting her up in his arms.

"Oh, dear _husband_ , I'm not sure I approve of you carrying other women like that."

"Go to hell." He hurried out the inn, hearing her annoying cackles behind him.

Vicky felt her head moving back and forth, like a bad roller coaster. Her stomach churned, and she gripped onto something hairy. "Stop the ride! I'm gonna barf!" She felt her feet hit the ground, and stumbled to the edge of whatever she was on, finding something that looked like a plant. Kneeling, she began to hurl.

Colton took a seat on the flowerbed wall next to her. A few people would walk by, giving him an odd look. He'd just shrug.

Eventually, she stopped, and he saw her flushed face leaning on her arm. She was breathing in and out in a laborious rhythm.

"I'm…sorry. I had no idea that was alcohol. I thought it was flavored water."

He leaned over her, using one of his claws to gently pull some of her hair out of her face. "I'm sure the plants needed some watering."

She looked up at him, flashing a weak smile. She glanced at him, the smile beginning to fade. "Your wife…she's beautiful."

He growled, leaning back up. "She's not my wife."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "That's not what she said…"

He looked at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "She lied. I made the mistake of spending one night with her, and it's something that continuously haunts me to this day."

Vicky's eyes began to water. "I…I don't understand? Why would she lie?"

His demeanor softened, and he crouched in front of her. "Why does anyone lie?"

A tear fell. "That's just…cruel."

He touched her arm. "Can you walk?"

She blinked a few times, then grimaced as she pushed herself to her feet. She reached out, grabbing his arm, steadying herself as he slowly began to move forward. A blue light began to glow around her, and she felt Colton's hand on her head. Relief came almost instantaneously.

"Why don't you ever wear armor?"

He looked down, seeing two inquisitive hazel orbs staring back. "I do when it's needed."

"Raj said something about you being in a war together. I had no idea…"

They arrived at the platform, just as it lowered. He ushered her on, and lifted his head, allowing the sweet breeze of the Aldor surround him. "I have been in many wars."

The elevator stopped, and they stepped off. A few draenei bowed towards him, while casting an uneasy look in her direction. He placed his arm around her, taking a sharp turn to the right, towards a cascading waterfall.

"What is it you do?"

They ducked behind it, and he grabbed her hand as they pressed close to the wall. His hair was becoming damp from the spray of the waterfall. He felt the recess in the wall, and pressed against it. An opening formed, and he pulled her in after him. He pushed some low hanging vines and vegetation out of the way, as they moved along the narrow corridor. Eventually, the skyline of Zangarmarsh appeared.

"Wow…" Vicky had never seen anything like this. Giant mushrooms filled the sprawling expanse before her. The movie Avatar popped into her mind, and she half expected to see tall, blue aliens. The night elf male bowed, greeting them. _Well, close enough_.

"I am simply nothing more than a scout, used for simple missions."

A low chuckle came from her right, and she turned, seeing the stoned troll leaning back against a smooth rock. "He be a Battle Priest, girl."

Colton growled in Raj's direction. " _Was_."

" _Is_. Ya can keep runnin, but what ya are won't go away."

Vicky glanced between them, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What the fuck is a ' _battle priest'_? What? You heal people to death?"

Raj began laughing. "I really like dis girl, mon. She be a keeper."

Colton growled, grabbing Vicky by her arm and pulling her away from the druids. There was a clearing up ahead, through some more, thick brush. They stepped onto an overlook, gazing out over the never-ending marsh below. He motioned for her to take a seat on the mossy floor.

"I wanted to speak with you about what happened in Silvermoon."

Her smile dropped, and a cold frown replaced it. "I'll try not to bother you any further with idiotic questions."

His eyes saddened. "No, Vicky, I meant nothing of what I said. Believe me. If I could take it back, I would."

She stared at him, blinking a few times, as the gears in her mind turned. _He was blackout-drunk._ It made sense. She smiled.

"No worries. Try not to drink so much in the future, though. You can't handle your booze."

"Says the woman who just vomited in one of the most sacred cities to the Naaru."

"The _what_? And puking is natural. It wasn't my fault that your _wife_ kept insisting."

He growled, turning from her. "I really loathe that woman."

Vicky threw her head back, letting a few loud laughs escape. "Oh Lord…the more I'm around you, the more I actually like you as a person." She stood up, brushing her backside off. "So what are we supposed to do now? Hang out, incognito-style in…" She glanced at the giant mushrooms in the distance. "Wonderland?"

"It depends, I have yet to receive my next set of orders. It may be as soon as tomorrow, or a year from now." He glanced to her. "In the meantime, I believe we should start training you to handle some mild combat."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that entails…?"

"Rest. We start at sunrise."


	5. Chapter 5

"Sunrise, eh?"

She was standing next to Colton's bed, her hands on her hips. The Aldor provided small bunks for their members to rest during their travels. It took a lot of convincing for them to let Vicky into the building, but she eventually managed to warm the guards over.

She moved her foot, tripping over an empty liquor bottle, and falling on top of her passed out companion. The smell of putrid alcohol hit her nostrils. She gagged, scrambling to push herself off.

A hairy arm wrapped itself around her waist, and she was immediately flipped over to the other side, pinned against the wall. He pulled her closer, resuming his snoring and breathing straight into her face. Her stomach flipped, and she coughed, trying to keep the contents of her breakfast down.

"Jesus Christ, **_wake up_**!"

She brought her legs up and pushed, sending him rolling him off the bed. A loud thud echoed off the walls of the bunkhouse, followed by a groan. She pulled herself to the edge of the bed and peaked over the side.

He was sitting up, a hand over the protruding brow of his forehead. His glowing orange eyes glanced up at her, and he snarled, showing some teeth.

"You really need to join an AA group."

"Why are you here?" She had the tendency to be _especially_ irritating in the early mornings. He closed his eyes, focusing his mana. The blue light of his rejuvenation spell flashed, and he felt the instant relief it provided. He wearily pushed himself to his feet.

"It's noon, or midday, or whatever." She crossed her legs, content to stay seated in his warm and toasty bed. "You were adamant about training me."

He glanced to the floor, struggling to remember the events that took place the night before. Looking back at his charge, he shrugged his shoulders; it would not kill her to learn self-defense.

She sighed, her expression changing from one of enthusiasm to sadness. "You know what, never mind. I was mistaken. My apologies for disturbing your rest." She jumped up, passing him as she headed towards the door. A large hand gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Vicky…wait. I…" He looked down at the ground, seeing a half empty bottle of rum on the floor. "May have drank a little too much…"

She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she glared back at him. "No shit, Sherlock." A figure appeared at the doorway.

"Hello, _dear husband_ …"

Vicky rolled her eyes, and snatched Colton's hand, lifting it off her shoulder. "You're on your own with this. I'm pulling a Raj." She walked past the lying skank that was lingering in the doorway. Or prostitute. She shook her head. _Nah, unless they pay her to shut up afterwards_ …

Colton turned away from the other worgen, looking for his shirt. "What do you want, Regina?"

"To borrow some money. I've run into a slight problem…"

He growled, swiping at the crumpled tunic in the corner. He sniffed it, and immediately jerked his muzzle back. He grabbed at his satchel underneath the bunk, pulling out another shirt.

"How much? You do realize that Fiona is the one who ends up paying for your debts, you know…"

Regina rolled her eyes, scowling at him. She brushed her long blonde hair back and stuck her hip out in a seductive pose. She lowered her eyelids.

"Or…I could simply repay you by other means." She walked over, running her delicate fingers through the hair on his back. He continued to fumble with his satchel, as she slowly worked her hand towards the side of his hip. Suddenly, he spun around, snatching her wrist. His lip was curled, and his orange eyes glared at her.

She felt something cold being pressed in her hand, and looked down. He had given her ten gold.

"Get out of here. If I ever catch you around Vicky again, I will personally throw you in the Stockades myself."

She snatched the money, sneering at him, as she hurried out of the room. A wicked smile crossed her face, and she almost skipped to the platform to head down to the main plaza. It had just started its decent, so she sighed, irritated, and tapped her foot, waiting for it to rise again. Something flashed in the corner of her eyes.

The strange, human woman was leaning up against the wall; her arms crossed at her chest. The low light of an energized gem reflected off the pendant of her necklace. She was staring at her.

"What are you staring at, you ugly cow?" There was no need to keep pleasantries anymore, she had gotten what she came for.

"A whore." Vicky looked down at her hands, running her thumb across the ends of her fingers.

Regina took a few long strides towards her, stopping mere inches from her face. " _What_ …did you call me?" She grabbed Vicky's shirt, pulling her forward.

Vicky gave her a malicious grin. _It was on_.

* * *

"Why did you do that?"

Vicky had her legs swung over a table in the backroom of an inn. They were still on the upper rise, in the Aldor district of the city. She held a rag to her nose, tilting her head back in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Her left eye was swollen, and her right eye only partially opened.

Colton was in his human form, as he found it easier to assess a person's status with the additional flexibility in his hands. He was pouring healing magic into the gashes on her shoulder blade. Regina had dug her claws into Vicky's skin, trying to rip it open.

 _She would be dealt with, later_.

Vicky gave him a blooded smile. "Because she's a bitch."

"Yes, but that is beside the fact." He felt along her ribs, noticing her wince. The blue light began to glow again. "I hate seeing you like this."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well, you should look at _her_. At least I wasn't the one that got knocked the fuck out."

He grinned, bringing his hands up to her face. He gently placed them along the sides of her cheeks, positioning her head straight.

"Close your eyes." He frowned. "Well, _eye_."

A bright, white light flashed, and she gasped, feeling a strong rush of energy overwhelm her nervous system. Her hands shot out, and she grasped his tunic, trembling as she tried to ride out the intensity of his spell. Eventually, it calmed, and she released her grip. Both eyes opened.

"Better." He gave her a charming smile, and she couldn't help but look away from him, blushing. He grabbed at the edge of her shirt. "Lift your arms."

Her eyes went wide, and she stared at him, frozen. His eyebrow raised, in confusion. She blinked a few times, and slowly brought her arms up. He lifted her shirt, laying it on the side. He placed his hands on her shoulder, easing her on her back, while he continued to examine her rib cage, feeling around for any signs of bruising. He glanced at her strange chest binding.

"Is that from your world?"

She drummed her fingers on the table, glancing at the ceiling. A red flush began to spread on her cheeks. "Are you checking out my bra? Do I need to take that off, as well?"

He laughed, casting another healing spell. "No, my dear, I was simply curious, especially at the pieces of metal interwoven underneath." His fingers moved along. "Unless you feel the need to take it off. I would not protest." He found that teasing her was quite enjoyable, to say the least.

"I'm not so sure of that. Since I've fallen into this…whatever _this_ is, I've been called: an ugly cow, an annoyance, a strange girl, a smelly human, and odd. Oh, and a burden. Somehow, I get the feeling 'gorgeous female' is not on the list."

His hands brushed across her hip, and she shivered. Her fingers drummed even more nervously on the table; this was becoming too much. At this point, if her leg was broken, she'd simply walk it off…or crawl it off.

Colton leaned over, noticing the edge of a large bruise poking out from under her trouser band. He lifted it up, getting a better view. She held her breath, going rigid. He glanced at her face; her eyes were clenched shut.

"Trousers need to come off. I have to look at your knee, anyways." He pulled at her arm, forcing her to sit up.

"I can roll the pant leg up."

He sighed. "You're being difficult. There's a large bruise on your left hip, and I would like to see the extent of it."

She sighed, taking a few moments to collect herself. _What is wrong with you? This is no different than going to the doctors, and surely nothing compared to the gynecologist_. She stepped off the table, keeping her weight off her right knee, and wiggled out of her pants. She propped herself back up on the table, and laid down, accidentally smacking her head on the wood.

Colton laughed, resuming his examination of her hip. The bruise was large, and appeared painful. "Where did you get this?"

"I ran into the nightstand."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. He glanced at her lower undergarment. It was made of a strange fabric. Colorful pictures of crescent moons and stars were drawn all over. "Is this from your world, as well?"

"Holyshit. If I get naked, are you going to ask me if a vagina is from my world, too?"

He looked at her swollen knee. "Depends. You do have a peculiar scent."

She sat up, moving her hands in a sharp, horizontal motion. "Okay, that's it. This doctor's appointment is _over_."

He stared at her, his hands remaining on her damaged knee. "I would advise against it." She rolled her eyes, leaning back a bit on her outstretched arms. Her cheeks were completely red, and she was unable to calm her nerves.

He leaned into her, stopping a few inches from her face. "You worry too much." He closed his eyes, breathing in the air around him. "Peculiar, however, _very pleasant_." Opening his eyes, he glanced at her panicked ones for a few moments, then moved back towards her knee.

"Sit on the edge."

She obediently moved, draping her legs to the side, again. He began to lift her knee through a normal rotation, stopping when he heard her hiss.

"You've damaged this before?"

She nodded. "I was in a car accident a few years back. Spent a year in rehab." A bright flash of white light shot from his hands, and she squinted, looking away. "Occasionally, I have to wear a brace when it acts up."

"The scar?"

"Surgery."

His eyebrows furrowed. "They cut you open?"

"I had a patellofemoral replacement. My kneecap is plastic, not bone."

He glanced up at her, the white light fading. "That seems like a cruel practice."

She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing on him. "We can't exactly prance around, waving our hands over people's bodies and magically fixing him."

His blue eyes stared back, glancing over her facial features. He noticed the light dusting of freckles along her nose. An urge surfaced, and he blinked, repressing it. He pulled away from her, picking up her trousers on the ground.

"You can get dressed now. Since your knee is not entirely organic, my healing cannot fix the root cause of the discomfort you feel. However, I believe you will find it much better than it was." He narrowed his eyes on her, while holding out her trousers. "Much better than what your _doctors_ from your world were able to achieve."

She grinned, pulling her shirt over her torso, while she hopped down. She cautiously put weight on her knee, her face lighting up in wonder. Her hand gripped his arm, and she pulled her leg back, bending the knee as far as it would go. Her foot was flat against her rear; no pain.

"My God, Colton…I haven't been able to do this since before the accident." She looked up at him, a radiant smile on her face. "You're absolutely amazing. Maybe a bit of a drunk, but still amazing." She chuckled, letting go of his arm and placing her foot back on the ground.

"For someone so reserved about taking her pants off, you seem to be in no hurry to put them back on."

She waved her hands at him dismissively, giving her pants a good shake before pulling them up. She rotated her shoulders and neck. "I actually feel pretty good. Maybe I should let you heal me more often." She glanced up at him, winking.

He laughed, heading out the doorway of the room.

* * *

Vicky looked down at the fuzzy, panda child next to her. He was vibrating with energy.

"When I grow up, I'm gonna be the bestest druid ever!"

She forced a grin. "Sounds great, kid."

Since Colton was a drunk, Raj had an epiphany during one of his drug-induced meditations, and decided to put Vicky in a "Druid 101" beginner's class. Most of the kids in the group would never become druids, because, apparently, it was a racist profession. However, they would offer training camps, covering a wide range of topics from: the basics of EPA approved fighting mechanics, how plants have feelings too, and don't kill baby seals.

She looked around. Everyone there was the age of twelve, or younger. They had made an exception for her, since she was a retard.

Something tall entered her peripheral vision. The gorgeous night elf from the other night strolled in, carrying a large wooden stick. He was shirtless.

 _My god…_

The vibrating child next to her started jumping around. "Yay! Master Rydriel is going to show us how to fight!"

Vicky's eyes went wide, and she instantly grimaced. She looked around the grounds. _Where is this kid's parents? Who allows their child to sign up for this?_

"Welcome, little saplings. Elune has blessed us, indeed, to have such a fine group present for today's lesson."

 _If my teachers were ever this hot, I would have flunked out, and been pregnant by age 14._

"Owe!" She felt something whack her on the shin. She glanced to the kid next to her, frowning. "How much sugar have you had today?"

The panda child gave her the most heart-wrenching look. "I'm sorry…"

Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she bit her bottom lip. "It's…okay." She reached out, and gave their fuzzy head a few pats. He smiled, going back to twirling his stick in the air like he was a jedi.

The training involved a lot of explanation and theory. Rydriel would demonstrate, then ask for a volunteer from one of the dozen, and very eager, trainees, to practice the maneuver against him. The kids loved it; their faces lit up in absolute glee.

"It is time to break off in groups, little saplings." Vicky stood in the back, nervously glancing around over the tops of the kids. "Eight, ten, twelve…"

 _Fuck._

"Ms. Jones, it appears you and I will be teamed up for this exercise."

Her mouth opened, and she quickly shut it, as he walked towards her. His muscles rippled, as he took confident strides. His long, dark blue hair swung behind him.

 _Remember: he's married, he's married…he's super married…_

Rydriel glanced up, seeing another figure walking towards them. He grinned.

"Welcome, Priest. Perhaps you can take my place instead? As much as I hate to abandon Ms. Jones, I fear the young children will require much attention."

She glanced behind her, catching a glimpse of Colton's snout.

"Damnit."

Both men turned to look at her. She was staring off in space.

"Ms. Jones?" Rydriel gave her a confused look. She glanced up, taking a few moments to understand what had happened.

"Oh, shit, I mean, shoot. Um, I was…thinking of something else."

Rydriel kept a thick, blue eyebrow raised, before he finally smiled, and bowed, turning back towards the twelve kids swinging sticks at each other. Colton stepped up, looking down on her.

"Did I disturb something?"

She jerked her head back, giving him an incredulous look. "Whoa, what is that I sense…jealousy?"

He growled, his lip raising a bit in a small snarl. Vicky shook her head. "I thought you were at the bar, partaking in your favorite pastime of getting shitfaced."

He frowned, turning from her as he walked to the pile of staves on the edge of the training grounds. Most were smaller, for children, but he found a decent sized one, buried underneath. He walked back to her.

"No, Vicky, I…" He twirled the staff slowly, attempting to get a feel for any weight imbalances. He moved his hand from the center to the left. He glanced at her.

"What have you learned, so far?"

She held out her stick. "You take this stick, do some fancy footwork, and try to beat your opponent to death. Oh, and try _not_ to get hit, yourself."

He laughed, stepping away from her. "Okay, then show me. I will hold a defensive position and you try to hit me."

She raised her eyebrow. "But…what if I hurt you?"

He chuckled. "Trust me, _you won't_."

She sneered at him, and turned her body, taking a few steps back. She held her stick to the side, trying to remember what Rydriel had done for the past thirty minutes.

 _I wasn't paying attention; I was staring at his abs._

She shrugged her shoulders, and sprinted towards him, swinging her stick to the side, aiming for his hip. He instantly moved, blocking her and pushing his staff forward. She stumbled backwards, landing on her rear.

"You haven't learned anything."

She rolled her eyes, staring up at the alien sky. "And what would give you that impression?"

"Vicky, you need to be able to defend yourself. This is a cruel world, and I may not always be there."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she sat up, looking at him. "What do you mean? Are you… _leaving me_?"

He glanced away from her, throwing the staff to the ground. "I am to report to Notherend by the end of the week."

She jumped to her feet. "What?! Why?"

His head kept moving to the side; his eyes refusing to meet hers. "I requested a transfer."

Vicky froze. She felt as if a cold bucket of water had just been dumped on her head. She slowly looked over the small group of children, happily involved in their own world. She glanced at the stick in her hand, and tossed it to the ground.

"Oh."

Colton walked to the edge of the grassy area, peaking through the brush to see the large, luminous mushrooms of Zangarmarsh in the distance. Guilt was eating at him, but, he felt it was for the best. He was getting too attached, and it was never good for the job.

"Vicky, look, I-"

He turned around. _She was gone._

* * *

Vicky had everything she owned crammed into the large pack strung over her shoulders. She had camped out in a little alcove outside their room, waiting for Colton to go through his initial panic of her being gone. Once he had left their temporary residence, she had slipped in, grabbing her bag.

She was standing in front of the glimmering portals, looking back and forth between the ten or so distorted images. It was hard to make out what any of them were.

"Ft'te dreech yae ecsantasis?" A beautiful Draenei women was looking down at her; her blue, ethereal eyes gleaming.

"Excuse me?"

The women repeated the same sentence. She then tilted her head, asking her something else. Vicky shrugged, grabbing nervously at the strap of her bag. She was covered in a heavy cloak; the hood hiding all of her facial features. Something tickled her throat, and she started coughing, hacking a bit. This place was hell on her allergies.

The Draenei smiled and motioned her towards a portal on the right. Vicky nodded, and took one last look behind her.

"Bye Colton." The words came out choked.

She stepped through. The rush of inter-dimensional travel was always a little disorientating. The image faded from Shattrath, until new walls appeared. She closed her eyes, waiting for the dizzying sensation to pass. Standing up, she took a quick glance around.

It was dark, cold, and wet. The walls dripped with condensation, and eerie, green lights produced an ominous feel to the location. She grabbed at her strap, stepping forward and out of the room.

A rotting man passed her, similar to the ones she saw during her journey to the Blood Elf capital. The "Forsaken", if she remembered. A few of them held residence in Shattrath, although, they mostly kept to themselves.

She continued down the stairs, stepping out into a street, of sorts. The smell was atrocious; it was like she stuck her head in the sewers of New York City. She held her hand over her mouth, and continued forward. Her eyes glanced to a river of glowing, green water.

"Wait a minute…something's wrong here."

A large creature walked in front of her. It's putrid, white skin was split open; organs were dangling out. On its back was an extra hand, twitching at erratic intervals. Something smacked into her, and she stumbled against the wall.

"Ftth sertp shokt leremued!" The corpse-man waved his hands at her, irritated. She pushed off the wall, the hood of her cloak falling back. She turned to the man.

"Look asshole. You don't crash into people then get pissed off. You can, simply, _walk around_."

Glowing, white eyes stared at her. She crossed her arms, giving him a stern expression. He brought his fingers up to his chin, scratching at the boney tip that protruded, he walked to the side, looking her up and down. Her arms dropped, and she moved back a bit, slightly unnerved from the inappropriate staring.

The ground began to shake, and she put her hand against the wall, bracing herself. "What the hell?!"

The large, three-armed thing was barreling at her. "Rentridl!"

She felt something impact her head and lost consciousness.

* * *

"I'm waking up, to ash and dust, I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust…"

Vicky was swinging in her suspended cage. It would slowly rotate back, the move forward enough for her foot to connect with the wall. She gave herself another push.

"I'm radioactive…radioactive…"

Occasionally, one of the corpse men would bicker at her, and she'd give them the finger in response. She knew she was dead. If not now, then soon. They had forced her to ingest the radioactive sludge that they insisted on pumping around their decrepit city. She glanced at the pile of glowing puke underneath her cage.

"Yep…dead."

The magic had worn off, which allowed her to understand the languages on this planet. Her futile attempts to speak with the other caged occupants proved ineffective. She wasn't too broken up about it; they rarely survived longer than a day. They appeared to lack any immunity to the remnants of nuclear fallout, usually turning into piles of goo, or rotting away into an insane, zombie-like creature. Vicky wondered if her immunity came from years of surviving on nothing but hot pockets and bacon.

It was all, actually, pretty terrifying. However, she had spent over a week in a cage, and her mental faculties were mostly diminished. The water she had been given reeked like rat piss. She had been forced to urinate on herself, many times.

Loud voices arose from the, otherwise, quiet "scientists". She pushed off the wall, forcing her cage to rock in a diagonal fashion, stretching her neck to the side to get a glimpse. She saw the contents of her bag scattered out on a table. Her cage swung back, and she pushed off the wall, again. A familiar, toothy-mouthed face appeared.

" _Oh shit…_ "

The strange, rotting man from her journey to see the blood elves was walking towards her. His hands were waving in the air, apparently pissed off at the other walking corpses. He motioned at her a few times, continuing to ramble on in their language.

 _Maybe this is Undercity? It definitely smells like a sewer._ Her head dropped, and she sniffed. _No, that's just me_.

Suddenly, the chains on her cage loosened, and she pulled her legs in, as it fell, crashing to the ground. The large, fucked-up version of Frankenstein's monster scratched its head, drooling partway on its partially exposed organs. The corpse man shouted at the prick who shoved the greed sludge down her throat. He walked over to her, grabbing the bar handles, searching for the key hole.

She reached through the bars, grasping his boney wrist. "I cannot understand you." She tapped her head. "I need that spell, again."

His glowing white eyes stared at her. He slowly nodded, reaching in further and placing his boney fingers on her head. She felt a shocking rush through her brain, and twitched.

"How about now, my lady?"

She smiled, patting his decayed hand. " _Much better_ …"

"My sincerest apologies; I was unaware of your _residency,_ until today." He produced a rusted key, inserting into the lock and swinging the door open. He leaned in, offering her his hand.

"It's okay." She grabbed it, heaving herself up. Her legs immediately felt weak, and she stumbled, falling forward, out of the cage and crashing on her knees on the floor. She looked down at her pants, noting the urine stains that covered the entire upper portion. "I think I have radiation poison."

"My dear girl, why would you ever think you had radiation poison? Such a thing may be common in Gnomeregan, but here, we have standards." He motioned at the abomination. She was losing consciousness, no doubt, from his associate's gross mishandling of her care. He would speak with Faranell later.

"Bring her to the guest quarters." He looked at her clothes. "And get her some new pants."

* * *

Colton had always hated Crowley. He thought him a traitor before the curse ran rampant, and thought of him a charlatan afterwards. His claim of loyalty to Gilneas was complete bullocks; the man was selfish. The final upheaval against the Forsaken ended with him allowing the Liberation Front to be slaughtered, while he traded their lives for that of his daughter's.

He found himself sitting across the table from the man, in the keep on Fenris Isle. The refugees from the neighboring areas had chosen to embrace the curse, over that of undeath. Their holding on the island would eventually wane from the growing pressure of Sylvanas' troops.

However, this was the closest location he could get to Undercity. Shaw had demoted him, officially, for losing track of their charge. Off the books, it had been for his drunkenness and willing abandonment. He had lied when he told her he was being transferred to Northerend. Shaw had rejected the request, but Colton was stubborn; he thought he could get her to press Shaw for a new guardian.

It backfired…terribly.

He volunteered for the rescue mission. It was a suicide, but he felt little value for his life. His addiction was becoming a problem, and the memories of past trauma still haunted his every waking moment. If he died while getting her to freedom, then it was well worth it.

Crowley stood motioning for Colton to follow. They made their way through the keep, coming out the backside, next to a small row boat. In the distance, he could make out the foggy outline of Undercity.

"Hurry, we have less than an hour before the patrols rotate their shifts."

They both rowed, quietly slipping along the surface of the lake. Crowley had been planning to infiltrate the Forsaken's city; Colton's arrival was only a mere coincidence. However, it had provided him an easy means of getting inside.

The boat bumped into the edge of the lake, and the two worgen crawled out, slowly scaling the rocky cliff. At the top, was a hidden entrance, known only to a handful. They had extracted this information from a former guard, who was caught in a skirmish a few months prior. Crowley tripped, finding himself being caught by his companion.

"Thanks."

Colton growled in response. His gut feeling was telling him that he should have let the snake fall. However, he had helped him out this far. They also were both Gilneans, which had to amount to something, right?

They found themselves at the edge of a large pipe that led into the sewers. Cowley's ears picked up a sound in the distance. He nervously glanced back at Atherton. The undead would surely kill them both. In a split decision, he punched Atherton in the back of his head and ran off, scampering down the side of the cliff, and slipping into the watery murk below.

* * *

"So I ingested a plague?"

She was sitting at a large, ornate table, in the guest wing of a vast expanse of houses, connected to the edge of an old sewer system. Hans was the Forsaken responsible for her freedom. As an apology, the Royal Apothecary Society had sent her an official letter (it wasn't really an apology, more like: "it's really your fault, but, we're being forced to say sorry"), also providing some basic-needs items; such as clothing. She had on some sort of fancy silk and cotton gown, in a deep, blue hue. The thing looked like it had taken years to sew. Around her neck was a diamond the size of a fucking galaxy. She would make sure to toss all of it in the sewage, later.

"The good news is that you appear to be naturally immune. I would like to sample some of your blood."

She glanced at the prick responsible for her first week of imprisonment and torture, then looked back Hans with a raised eyebrow. "Is this fucker for real?"

"Elliot, you've gotten enough information for now. Leave her be."

His associate scowled, throwing his arms in the air as he slammed the door on his way out. Hans turned to her.

"I apologize for my associate; he is eager to progress in his research."

She deadpanned. "With the plague."

He nodded. "The plague."

"You realize that biological warfare is typically banned for a reason. Once you introduce a virus into the populous, you risk having it mutate into something that kills everything…even yourself."

Her grinned, giving her a large toothy smile. "But, my dear, we are already dead."

She shrugged. "Yes and no. Your tissues and organs no longer regenerate, but you still think…you move… _you bleed_."

He leaned forward on the table, placing his chin on his open palm. His guest was quite the intellectual who appeared to possess a base knowledge of biology. She had no magic to speak of. What was even more fascinating was Fowley's discovery of her natural immunities. The plague they handed her had a specific curse attached to it. She merely threw up the contents out of disagreement with her stomach, nothing else.

Faranell had _insisted_ that she remain under the Royal Apothocary Society's "care". She was much too valuable to let slip away. However, the meddlesome mages of Undercity had gotten wind of her. Apparently, the blue dragonflight was in negotiations with the Dark Lady, as they spoke.

She sighed. "May I leave, now?"

He tilted his head. "My dear, your home is on another world that no one has traveled to. What you ask of is impossible."

Her head lowered. She knew she was still a prisoner. They would continue to experiment on her until her untimely death.

 _Maybe it's for the best. You are nothing but a burden to others._

Hans was deep in thought. The only way they could extend her duration was if she willingly agreed to stay. A thought popped in his head; recent events that he had taken little interest in. A large, uncanny grin spread across his thin, split lips.

"My dear, where is your worgen companion?"

She looked away from him, shrugging her shoulders. "He got sick of me."

He flashed her an eerie grin. "Now that is quite a shame. And here I thought he had come to visit you…"

Her eyes snapped to him.

He glanced at his herbal cabinet. "I have been meaning to stop by Brill for some ingredients. Come, I would be delighted if you would join me."

* * *

A familiar scent filled the room, and he immediately jumped to his feet. A hooded figure walked in behind the guard. A key was placed in their gloved hands.

"Last cell to the left." The hood nodded, and the guard left, slamming the door behind him. The figure looked up at him, lifting both hands to remove the hood.

"Vicky! How?!"

She hurried over, fumbling with the key. "It wasn't pleasant." The lock clicked and she felt the door immediately move. Soon, hairy arms were tightly embracing her. She laughed, patting his back.

He grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go!"

She resisted, doing her best to remain in place, digging her boots into the damp soil. He stopped, turning towards her with a confused expression. "We're still prisoners…"

The door opened, and Hans walked in, followed by two guardsmen. One carried a set of chains. Colton dropped Vicky's hand, stepping away from her.

"I'm sorry…"

He turned from her and knelt in front of the undead, sticking his hands behind his back.

* * *

A guard was stationed outside of their room. He walked to the small table they provided for him. Some stale bread was on a platter. He sighed, taking a bite.

Archmage Sunreaver had come with all the correct paperwork to retrieve Vicky. She refused, much to his surprise. The bastard Forsaken had blackmailed her. What was even worse, they were using him to do it.

He was a prisoner, and only being kept alive if Vicky remained complaint with the Royal Apothocary's requests. Every day, they would ask her to swallow various concoctions; injecting her with different versions of the plague. Sometimes, she would shrug, saying that she felt the same. Other times, she would end up keeled over, vomiting until she passed out from exhaustion.

They allowed them to stay within the same chambers. Two beds sat opposite of each other, but he found himself usually in her bed, rocking her to sleep at night, as she'd shake and tremble; her body actively trying to purge itself of whatever they forced in her. He would heal her until his mana diminished.

He had to admit, her continued resistance to the plague _was_ fascinating. No living creature on Azeroth, or even Draenor, would have been able to survive. She was completely immune. Curses had no effect on her. Warlocks would, occasionally, stop by, trying to cast different spells. _Nothing would happen_. She would eventually tell them they were "fucking crazy", and they would leave with a bitter look on their face.

The door swung open, and he saw Vicky walk in. She refused to make eye contact. Her fingers were in her mouth, as she chewed at the skin around her nails. A nervous habit he had noticed she would do in stressful situations. Hans stepped in behind her.

"So, worgen, it is time that you prove your worth." He motioned to Vicky. "She has been resistant to every form of plague and curse that we can create. However, there is one which remains…"

Colton stood, baring his teeth as he snarled. He went to lunge forward and a guardsman shot him with a tranquilizer dart. He stumbled back, crashing against the wall. Vicky ran over to catch him before he crumpled to the floor. She eased him down the wall, until he was sitting. His head hung low, and he groaned.

She glanced to Hans, then back at Colton. "Please don't make him do this…"

The Forsaken shrugged, turning away from her. "It's your choice, my dear. Either he complies or he is destroyed, and another test subject is procured…" Hans walked out of the room, letting the door shut behind him.

Colton kept staring at the ground. She knelt in front of him, lifting his heavy head back. His orange eyes glanced at hers, a sadness radiating from his entire being. A tear fell down her cheek.

"Colton…please…"

His head sagged to the side, and he took in a languid breath. "No."

She gritted her teeth, clenching her eyes shut. An idea popped into her head. It was worth a try.

"If you don't, then another will." She opened her eyes, narrowing them in on his. " _Do you want another to mark me?_ "

His orange eyes flared a little brighter, and he growled, straightening his posture. The tranquilizer they used was strong, and he found himself having to reach out to steady himself. He grabbed her arm, pulling her closer.

He could feel the curse begin to rise, intermixing with his bodily fluids. His eyes followed the enticing curve of her neck; he could hear her heartbeat. The large vein in her neck swelled in rhythm. His hand wound its way around the back of her head, and he pulled it to the side, giving him more access to her delicious skin.

He looked at her, saliva beginning to drip from his mouth. His orange eyes deepened, glowing with more intensity. She felt a primal growl in his chest; her eyes widened with panic.

" _You are **mine**_."

His teeth sank deep into her neck. He felt her squirm; her heartbeat speeding up its hypnotic pace. Her blood seeped into his mouth, and the beast became elated. His teeth slid in further, allowing more blood to flow past his tongue. His saliva dripped into her wounds.

Suddenly, he came to his senses, shoving her away from him. He grabbed at his head, yelling at the top of his lungs. The guards burst through the door, shooting him with another tranquilizer.

Vicky put her hand on her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. A burning sensation was running through her. She felt like her veins were on fire, and she held her hand out, seeing the blood drip off it. Her breathing became raspy, and her skin was clammy; she was going to pass out from shock.

Colton fell to the floor, curling in on himself. The last image he saw was of Vicky's bloodied neck.

* * *

"We're going to die."

Vicky was nervously moving from foot to foot. She leaned over the edge of the waterfall; the deafening sound of the rapids below pounded her eardrums. She turned to Colton.

His orange eyes were less vibrant. He looked at her briefly, then turned away. She frowned; he was still blaming himself for what had happened.

Vicky had poisoned the guardsman, managing to sedate them long enough for them to slip through the city. Heavy cloaks allowed them to walk by unnoticed to the normal denizens. They had run out of luck, though, and had been forced to take a series of small tunnels leading out to the lake.

Voices echoed from the tiny corridor they had just emerged from. Her body began to shake. He turned back towards her, and grabbed her hand. "We jump, now." He moved forward, as she braced her feet in the other direction.

"No…wait." He tilted his head at her, confused.

 _It's now or never. You're going to either splatter on a rock or drown, anyways._ "

Both her hands grabbed at his muzzle. He froze, his orange eyes becoming wide. She bit her lip, and shrugged.

"I have no idea how to do this, so here goes."

She stood on her tip-toes, and placed her lips on the front of his muzzle. She let it linger for a few seconds before she pulled back. A loud voice shouted from behind them.

"This way! I smell the dog!"

They both jumped.

* * *

Vicky sneezed.

She was sitting up in a bed, with a large blanket thrown over her shoulders. A hot cup of tea was in her hands. She glanced to her left; Colton laid unconscious.

"I should thank my dad for forcing me to work as a lifeguard every summer."

The torch light flickered. The short statured woman leaned over him. She touched his arm and gently sighed, walking over to a pile of blankets to eventual throw another one on top of him.

"Yer man still runnin a fever, lass." She glanced at the strange woman on the medical bed. "Still, he be a lucky dog to have ye around."

Vicky snorted, followed up by a sneeze. "Yes, well, who knew that a ship captain couldn't swim?"

The dwarf laughed, walking to the woman on the bed. "What's yer name, girl?"

"Vicky…" She glanced at Colton, while biting on her lip. The only dwarf she had met was Hembel, back in Stormwind. He had mentioned about a few of his cousins living in various places to the north. If they still talked on a regular basis, using Colton's name could prove to be invaluable in getting them back home.

 _Well, to Colton's home, anyways._

"Atherton. I'm sorry, Vicky Atherton." She gave the physician a cheesy grin. _He's gonna be pissed…_

The dwarf's thick eyebrows furrowed. "Atherton, ye say?" She glanced back at the worgen on the bed. "Is that ye husband?"

Vicky bit the inside of her cheek, while attempting to keep a straight face. "Yes…"

The dwarf frowned, reaching over to put a thick hand on Vicky's cheek. "Ye poor lass…just you rest a bit, and we'll fix ya up in no time. My name's Bertha."

* * *

He was going to kill her.

"Yer wife is a lovely woman. Strange girl, though. Very strange…"

Vicky had inadvertently told Hembel's cousin that they were married. During his unconscious state, their gracious host had already penned a letter to him in Stormwind. Hembel immediately headed to S1:7, briefing his superiors on what Bertha wrote. Colton was sitting at the table, a letter from Shaw spread out before him.

 _"It appears our other worldly traveler has a good head on her shoulders. Included with this letter you will find a marriage certificate, should any doubt her claims. Your alibi is that you were unfortunate travelers, honeymooning in the Alterac Mountains, and had become lost. You are to travel to Thelsamar, and remain there until further notice. Your contact will be Jern Hornhelm. He will instruct you further._

 _Shaw_

 _P.S. – Congratulations on your marriage! As per protocol, you will find a sum of 500 gold deposited in your bank account. Also, please learn how to swim. We've had this discussion before…"_

Colton's last memory was that of drowning. Apparently, Vicky had saved him, performing some sort of ritual that forced the lake water out of his lungs. His head had impacted a rock on their jump from Undercity; combined with the shock of drowning, he had lost consciousness for three days.

A group of dwarven hunters were camping on the eastern shores of Lake Lordamere. He had woken up in the back of a moving cart, his head in Vicky's lap. Her eyes were red, with dark bags underneath them. He passed out, again, shortly after, awakening for only short spurts over the following week, as his body tried to fight a fever.

He felt the warm touch of the dwarf. He glanced up, her thick eyebrows were scrunched together in concern. He coughed, and nodded towards her.

"Yes, she is from…Kalimdor." It technically wasn't a lie.

The dwarf smiled, content with his answer. "Ah, yes, our allies from across the sea are strange folk, indeed." She grabbed his hand, clasping it between hers. "I am delighted to have such good friends of me cousin's here. Tell me, how is old Hembel gettin along?" They heard a sneeze in the hallway.

Vicky stumbled into the small kitchen. Bertha had put them up in her house until Colton fully recovered from his fever. The woman was just…so fucking kind. The fact she lied about who she was ate at her every time she saw the dwarf. Vicky had finally come to the resolution that she would tell Bertha the truth; it was the decent thing to do.

She glanced up, seeing Colton at the table. His lip curled a bit, and she could only guess that he had just _found out_ their new "status". She frowned, shaking her head and wobbling towards the chair next to them. She plopped down, sneezing again.

"Fuck, my head…" She put her hand on her forehead and leaned on the small table to the side.

Colton turned back to Bertha. "He is doing well. His shop has prospered; word has gotten out of a master leatherworker hidden within the Dwarven District."

Bertha smiled. "Oh, wonderful!" She patted his hand, letting it drop. She turned to the fire pit, picking up a pot of boiling water with some rags. "Are you two stayin for the duration of your honeymoon?"

Scarlet's eyes snapped to Colton. She mouthed to him. "What the fuck?"

A cup was offered to her, and Vicky took it, smiling and nodding thanks. "It's still a little hot lass, be careful." She blew on the contents taking a small sip of tea.

He kept his gaze at her, his eyelids partially closed as he glared. "Not entirely. We were going to head to Thelsamar; might even think about settling down there."

She spat out the tea and began coughing. Bertha turned back towards her. "Lass, ye alright?"

Colton stood, placing his arm on the kind dwarf's shoulders. "I'll look after her for now. Please, take your rest. You have been more than benevolent to complete strangers. You walk, faithfully, in the graces of the Light." His hand became shrouded in a white glow. Bertha glanced up at him, are large smile forming on her mouth.

"A priest?" She laughed. "My, my, ye hid it well, boy. Very well. I will return this evening." Bertha left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Vicky's back was facing him, as she blew on her cup of tea. The past few minutes had, basically, overloaded her mind, and she preferred to ignore her social problems for the time being. The pounding in her head was starting to make her eye twitch. She went to take another sip, when a piece of parchment appeared in front of her.

"Read it." He sounded pissed off, which was…you know, _understandable_.

She leaned closer, squinting. Her literacy skills with the common language was still sub-par. However, she had made long strides since her first arrival in this world.

"I hereby… _announce_? Anyways, I hereby, something, the marriage of…"

Her tea cup fell, and she stood up, snatching the paper out of his hand. She read the words over and over again, as she walked in a circle. She began to chew on her fingers.

"Oh my god. _Oh my fucking god_." She glanced up to Colton, her hands immediately shooting out in front of her as she crossed them horizontally, shaking her head. "No, no…you don't understand! I figured someone would know your name, and help us get back. That's all!" She glanced around, her eyes full of panic.

Colton laughed, which came across more as a growl. He looked down at his chair, rubbing at the strain in his lower back; this would work better in human form. The furniture was smaller, and not designed for anyone over five foot. He closed his eyes, envisioning the scythe. Opening them, he found himself looking at human hands.

"Ehhh…" Vicky was pacing in a circle, chewing on her fingers.

He glanced up at her, a sly smile on his face. "What's the matter, _wife_?"

She put her hands on her hip, and stepped forward. "Look asshole, I would have liked to see you come up with a better idea." She waved their marriage certificate in the air. "And what the fuck is this?"

He grinned, snatching the paper out of her hands. "Our new cover. It appears that word travels fast." His grin fell, and a frown appeared. He ran a hand over his face. "I'll probably get a letter from my mother next…"

She blinked a few times, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. So it's fake."

He sat at the table, breaking off a piece of bread. "No, it's real."

She stood, frozen.

"I am assuming in your world that lies can be pulled off with much more ease. In this region of the Eastern Kingdoms, once you verbally state your marriage, it is as good as this notarized certificate." He glanced up at his shocked wife. "We are among the dwarves now. They are a simple people, but they are extremely loyal. They take vows with the utmost credence. I'm sorry, Vicky, but you will have to live with the repercussions of your choice."

She stumbled to the table, awkwardly taking a seat. He stuck his hand out, offering her a piece of bread. She took it, and crammed a decent sized chunk in her mouth. A few moments later, he watched her head fall flat on the table in a loud 'thud'.

Her hand made a circular motion in the air. "So…what happens now?"

He took a gulp of water, grabbing a knife as he eyed the cheese platter. "Per our new instructions, we're heading to a city in Loch Modan. Once there, we'll find out more. However, I think, in general, we are to lay low." He glanced at her neck, seeing the faded scars of where he had bitten her. He closed his eyes, frowning. "How are you feeling."

His answer came in the form of a sneeze. "Like shit." She kept her head on the table, moving it so she could make eye contact. "I am _really_ sorry, Colton. I honestly had no clue…"

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it."

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "You're taking this rather well."

A warm smile spread on his face. A piece of bread, with cheese on the top, was near his mouth. He looked at her. "You're a beautiful woman, Vicky. Strange, yes, but I seem to have grown attached to your quirky tendencies." He took a bite, groaning slightly from the wonderful taste. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Thish ish _good_."

She stuck her hand out, making a grabbing motion with her fingers. "Give it up, _dear_. What's yours is mine."


	6. Chapter 6

"Wake up!"

Vicky startled, immediately sitting up straight. A piece of paper was stuck to her forehead. She blinked, still trying to snap back to reality.

"Vicky…look, we need to talk."

She bit the inside of her cheek; she knew this was coming. Ever since her bizarre dream a few weeks ago, she had found it hard to focus on anything. Her work suffered; she would randomly fall asleep, often times being woken up by the cleaning lady.

Jack frowned; Vicky had been one of the best and most dependable. He knew that her mother had been sick lately, and the events were probably weighing on her more than she let on.

"I'm putting you on morgue duty for a while. Cook County, over on Harrison street. They had an influx deaths recently, and two of their examiners quit last week."

It was near the nursing home that Vicky's mother had been transferred to. He leaned over the desk, peeling the piece of paper off her forehead. He glanced at it. "I'll give this one to Kelly, you know she's been dying to get her hands bloodied." Jack laughed; he had a morbid sense of humor.

Vicky waited for her office door to click shut before she let her head smack on her desk.

* * *

 _"Don't take this wrong; bitch you goddamn fine."_

Tina was making a large, circular motion with her arm, thrusting her hips in a rocking motion. She had a scalpel in her left hand; her latex gloves covered in some blood.

 _"My girl wants to get it, but you can get in the meantime."_

Vicky laughed, throwing her backpack in the corner by the door. She had heard the music as soon as she had stepped out of the car. She glanced around the morgue; it was a mess. State funded operations were always the worst. They refused to pay, and many people would hire on just to get a few years under their belts, then bounce to a better gig.

Tina noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She swung around.

"Oh shit! Hold on…"

She ran over to the computer, slipping one of her gloves off, stopping the music. She turned back to the woman.

"I'm so sorry, they told me I was on my own today."

Vicky grinned, sticking her hand out. "Vicky Jones, I've been assigned here, indefinitely, until I get my shit together."

Tina laughed, loudly. "Tina Harris." She looked at her left hand, realizing she had been walking around the entire time with a scalpel pointed at her new coworker. She tossed it on the table next to the corpse, and wiped her hands on the nylon scrubs. She glanced around.

"Our shipment of scrubs didn't come in; the chick who orders it quit, but I got a few lab coats in the back."

Vicky shrugged, following Tina. She opened the door to a back closet, pulling some dusty boxes down until an old lab coat appeared, similar to something from Frankenstein.

"Perfect."

A few hours later, the music was back on. Vicky found herself belting out tunes alongside her coworker.

"I love it when you call me Big Poppa…throw your hands in the air, if you's a true playa…"

She was nodding her head, making a vertical cut along the chest cavity of the man on the table; he was, recently, fished out of a river.

"Cause I see some ladies tonight that should be havin my baby…baby…"

She was still waiting for her new driver's license to come in. Her gym bag had been stolen, along with her phone. The jingle of her replacement went off. She leaned up, snapping her gloves off, and walking towards her bag.

"Hello? Yes, I'm nearby. Oh, she did?" Vicky put her hand over her eyes, squeezing them. "Yes, I'll be right there."

Tina raised an eyebrow at her.

"I'll be back in 45. My mother fell, again." She shrugged the lab coat off, swiping her bag and heading out the door.

A few minutes later, she pulled her car up in front of the assisted care facility. Her mother was only 50; she had had Vicky at a very young age, a prom night special. Her father had died two years ago; he had developed pancreatic cancer, that eventually spread to his other organs. Ever since his death, her mother's health had deteriorated, along with her mind.

Diane was waiting for her at the entrance. "I'm sorry, Vicky. We can't seem to get her to calm down."

She offered the CN a weak smile, heading down the hallway to the right. She passed a few doors, and stopped at one on the left, knocking as she walked in.

Her mother was crumpled up on the bed, sobbing.

"Hey momma." Vicky spoke softly, walking towards her mother. She glanced up.

"Who are you? Does Ted know you're here?"

She stopped, biting her bottom lip as she tried to keep her composure. "Yes, he told me you fell."

Her mother looked at the nightstand. A tray of food remained, untouched. "This food is unacceptable. I would like to file a complaint with the management of this establishment."

Vicky sat at the edge of the bed; she placed her hands on her lap. "I'm afraid we can't do that momma." She tilted her head towards her, offering a sweet smile. "You know better than not to eat."

Her mother scowled. "Such an unpleasant girl." She leaned forward, running her fingers down some of Vicky's hair that had fallen out of her clasp. "Red. I hate the color red."

Vicky's eyes began to water, and she leaned back, standing up from the bed. She crossed her arms, taking a deep breath as she stared out the window. The inner courtyard was full of blooming flowers. It was one of the nicer facilities, costing her almost half of her paycheck to keep her mother here.

"Ted has red hair."

She heard a chuckle behind her. "That he does." Her mother put her hand on her head. "I am sorry, I should not speak to you that way."

Her mother's Alzheimer's had gotten worse. Two months ago, they had discovered a series of blockages in her brain; remnants of small strokes. The last episode had ended up in intensive care for three weeks.

She heard a yawn, and turned around, seeing her mother trying to pull the covers up. She walked over, helping to tuck her in. Her mother grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. A smile formed on Vicky's lips.

"Don't steal anything, okay?" She gave her hand another squeeze, and rolled over, already fast asleep.

Vicky lingered for a moment; shock on her face. She straightened, walking out of the room and quietly shutting the door. Diane caught her at the front desk.

"She's asleep." She grabbed Diane's shoulder, looking at her with a pained expression. Diane frowned reaching out to grab Vicky's hand.

"I am so sorry Vicky."

Vicky shook her head, stepping away from her and out the door. She walked like a zombie, climbing into the driver's seat of her car. The key turned, and her engine roared. Her head fell on the steering wheel. She cried.

* * *

She had been at the Cook County morgue for over a month. Tina was quickly becoming one of her best friends. They had a mutual appreciation for the same music.

Another drowned cadaver was in front of her. "People need to learn how to swim."

She blinked, looking off in space. A vivid memory popped in her mind. She shrugged, shaking it off, while grabbing at the sore bumps on her neck.

"I need to quit binge watching the Fringe."

Tina walked in. She had recently gone to the stylist, and sported a new set of braids. A reddish hue was interwoven, ending in gold tips. Vicky's college roommate used to braid hair, and she knew it had taken a long, _long_ time to do. She whistled.

"Lookin good."

She snorted. "Better be for how much I spent."

She glanced at the dead body on the table. Her eyebrow raised. "Another drowning? What the fuck are these people doing?"

Vicky shrugged. "Jumping off cliffs into Lake Michigan, and smashing their head on what's below."

Tina shrugged her purse off, tossing it on the table. She walked past Vicky, heading towards the storage closet. The humming noise of electricity increased. She frowned; the breaker box was probably fucked, _again_.

Vicky leaned back over the dead man. Thick, black hair covered their head. She brushed some back, noting the large impact wound on the side. Something caught her eyes, and she lifted the hair back further, looking behind their ear.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me…"

"Hey, Vicky! Come check this out."

Vicky took off in a full sprint, slamming the backroom door open. "Tina, no!"

She grabbed her shirt, just as the portal pulled Tina through. She felt the familiar disorientation of jumping worlds. Her knees hit something soft. A brightness surrounded her, and she glanced up, squinting her eyes.

"Hey toots, who's your friend?"

* * *

Tina wasn't handling it well.

Vicky had her feet up on the table, tapping her dress shoes together. She kept the lab coat on; it didn't really matter.

They had landed in a desert. In a surprising twist of fate, this was also where Biznel lived. Goblins littered the streets; a few trying to out shout each other as they pushed their wares on the few travelers, unfortunate enough to find themselves this far south.

"I gotta admit, toots, your clothing gives me the heebie-jeebies."

"It's called business ware. It's expected that we look professional, as we're frequently asked to present our findings to a panel."

 _Not to mention appearing in court. She hated lawyers._

"Ehhhh…" Tina was sitting on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were glazed over, and she slowly rocked back and forth.

"Your friend's got some issues."

Vicky shrugged. "She'll get over it."

"What's your next plan?"

Vicky frowned. Her feelings were mixed about the sudden immersion back into a reality she had convinced herself was a dream. "Not sure. I guess I need to figure out why I keep jumping back and forth between worlds."

She glanced at the goblin. "Also, I saw another one of those strange tattoos, on the back of a dead man's earlobe."

She grabbed at her neck. The bite wound still ached. Back in her world, she had blown it off as simple delusion. However, she now considered the possibility that maybe, _just maybe_ , Colton had infected her with something.

It was an unpleasant thought.

To her surprise, Biznel was a mage. He wasn't excited about his calling in life, but loved the benefits of knowing every language, as well as turning debtors into sheep. The lingering effects of what Hans had casted on Vicky still seemed to persist. Tina was suffering from the same language barrier that Vicky had at first. However, she refused to let Biznel touch her. Vicky turned to Tina, still moaning on the floor.

"He's not going to hurt you. No one can understand English here, so you might as well as get it over with."

Tina looked up, giving her a blank expression. She blinked. "He touches me, I'll blow his fucking head off."

Tina had recently gotten a concealed handgun license, and frequently brought it with her to work. She had been mugged a few months back, a mile or two from the morgue. Understandably, she had developed a serious case of stranger-danger.

"Suit yourself. I'm going to step outside."

Tina jumped to her feet, crossing the room to grab Vicky's arm. "No, wait!"

She looked at Vicky with paranoid eyes, then glanced at the green man with purple hair. She looked back at Vicky, releasing her arm.

"Okay! Just tell him to be quick about it."

Vicky turned to Biznel, motioning him towards Tina. He walked to her, pulling a chair with him. He hopped up, positioning himself at face level with her.

A warm, yellow glow began to spread over his right palm, and Tina flinched back. Her eyes were wide with shock.

"Vicky…what the fuck is this shit?"

The light faded, and he raised a pierced eyebrow. "You kiss your mother with that mouth, toots?"

* * *

"What the hell is this place?"

"The bank."

Tina raised an eyebrow at her. "You're kidding me?"

"State your name."

"Vicky Jones."

The goblin female scanned through the magical rolodex. "Nope, no Jones."

Vicky sighed, closing her eyes and squeezing the bridge of her nose. "How about Vicky Atherton?"

Both of Tina's eyebrows raised.

An odd, metal looking cube was held up. The goblin female peeked through a hole on the other side, nodding.

"Checks out. What can I do for you?"

Vicky grimaced, opening her eyes. "I would like to withdraw 1,000 gold, please."

The banker nodded, reaching behind her as she rummaged through a locked vault. She filled up two sacks, handing them back to the human.

"Come again. Next!"

Vicky hurried out of the building, up the stairs into the glaring sunlight. A hand grabbed her shoulder.

"Atherton?"

Vicky placed the second bag of gold in Tina's hand. "There was a slight misunderstanding, and I, sort of, kind of…got married by accident."

"What?!"

A group of gnomes walked by, giving them a questioning look. She put her hand over Tina's mouth.

"Calm down. Look, just…if you ever find yourself having to lie about your identity, remember that saying you're married is as good as actually _being_ married."

She grabbed Vicky's hand, pulling it away. "You've got to be shitting me. Couldn't you get it annulled?"

Vicky threw her hands up in the air. "I didn't have the chance! I fell asleep that same day and woke up back in my bed." She waved her arms around, signifying the town they stood in. "I thought all this was a dream…I mean, look!" She pointed at a Tauren. "Look at that shit! Wouldn't you think it was a dream, too?"

Tina crossed her arms, a smirk on her face. "Okay, so who's your husband?" She glanced around. "Maybe the better question is where?"

Vicky grimaced, sticking her fingers in her mouth. She pulled on the skin, causing it to bleed. "I don't know…"

Tina leaned forward, her eyebrow raised. "Don't you want to find him?"

"Yes, but, it's complicated. He's not…human." She flicked her wrist a few times; it stung.

Tina snorted, laughing. "Oh god, you know what, don't tell me. I want to be surprised." A large troll strolled passed, and Tina took a real long look up and down. "Can you call him?"

"No phones here. I could write, but it might take a while to reach him. I'll talk to Biznel, see if he has any ideas."

Tina kept staring at the troll as he disappeared into the inn. "Hey, do you think they pierce their-"

"Yes, they do. Don't ask me how I know."

Tina burst out laughing.

* * *

They had stopped in Theramore, giving the few sailors much needed shore leave. Colton was at the inn, swirling the contents of his mug around. He was to begin a new assignment in the Southern Barrens. The Horde and Alliance skirmishes had picked up in intensity, and Shaw wanted a clearer assessment at to the extent.

It had been three months since she disappeared in Aerie Peak. All that was left was her clothing, lying in a pile in the middle of the room. Shaw had not attributed her disappearance to his gross negligence, as before in Shattrath. In fact, his superior had given him a week off. Colton had shown up in Stormwind completely broken.

 _"I am truly sorry, Atherton."_

He stood, throwing a few coins on the table as he stepped out of the inn. It had been within his right to officially state her death, and to nullify the marriage. However, he had found himself unable sign the papers. A small shred of hope still thrived deep inside.

 _She was alive…he could feel it_.

He passed a mailbox. The familiar hum of mail resonated, and he stopped, turning to reach a large hand inside. He frowned, pulling out another letter from his mother; she was insistent on meeting his wife. He would always write back, avoiding the subject.

A bank statement was included. He took a quick glance, continuing to rummage through the other letters in the stack. He shook his head, and glanced back at the statement.

 _Withdrawal - 1,000 gold - Gadgetzan - Vicky Atherton_

He sprinted towards the flight master.

* * *

"You're gonna have to learn, Tina. There are no cars here." A goblin drove past them on a little, junkyard scooter. "Scratch that, there aren't any _better_ options for transportation."

"No fucking way. I fell off a horse once. I have no desire to repeat the experience."

Vicky rolled her eyes, placing her foot in the stirrup and lifting herself up. The horse swayed a bit, adjusting to the additional weight on its back. "These are a lot better trained."

"I call bullshit." She pointed at the scooter. "What about that? It's like a dune buggy."

Vicky shrugged. "Suit yourself. However, they've been known to break down." The goblin merchant looked up at her with an offensive expression. Vicky laughed, pulling on the reigns and pressing her heel into the side of horse.

It was day two, and the sun was beginning to set. She was still in her work clothes from yesterday; reluctant to change out of them as she was still debating if it was a dream. She rounded the side of the city, and kicked the horse into a gallop. A few minutes later, Gadgetzan was in the distance.

Tina was back at the merchant, trying to negotiate the price on his piece-of-shit dune buggy. Something akin to duct tape was holding up the muffler. "Look, I'm giving you a great deal!"

She crossed her arms, frowning. All used car salesmen were the same.

A large, flying bird, that looked like it was spliced together with a lion, landed. Apparently, instead of 747s and jets, they used mythical birds to travel to the different provinces. A large, bipedal dog hopped off the back. His teeth were huge, and his eyes glowed an ominous orange. _He was staring at her_. Tina shivered.

"Okay lady! Ten gold. Take it or leave it!"

Tina smiled, reaching into her jeans pocket and pulling out the coins. Unlike Vicky, she didn't bother dressing up for work. Those expectations had flown out the window after being passed up for a promotion three years in a row. Her sweatshirt was tied around her waist. A cold breeze blew past her as the sun continued setting, and she untied it, throwing it over her head.

The goblin motioned at the red dune buggy. She skipped over, pushing it forward and through the gate, back towards the motel. It became wedged in large pile of sand, and she groaned, struggling to get it loose. The weight suddenly disappeared. She looked up.

"You smell…familiar."

Her nose wrinkled, and she leaned back from him. "Buddy, you got about ten seconds to act normal, or you better start running."

He tilted his head, looking at her. "You're…not from _here_ , are you?"

Tina began to feel nervous, and she felt for the gun tucked in the band of her jeans. "Been here all my life." She stepped back, her fingers sliding around the handle.

Colton growled, walking closer to her. She was lying, he could tell. Her clothes, her hair… _her scent_ …she knew where Vicky was.

"Where is she?" He snarled, leaning in closer to her.

Tina panicked. She pulled her gun out, firing at the wolfman in front of her. The shot echoed through the entire city. Bystanders ran over, all crowding in, forming a circle around them.

The wolf was on the ground, clutching his abdomen. Blood began to seep out onto the sand below. His orange eyes looked at her, diminished in intensity; a gut-wrenching sadness to them. She stood there, her hand still held out with the gun, trembling.

 _She had never shot anyone before._

"Tina!" Vicky's voice cut through the impending silence. "What happened?!"

Vicky ran to her, sticking her arms out as she threw them around her friend's shoulders. She had heard the gunshot from outside the gate.

Tina was in shock. She simply stared at the bleeding _person_ in front of her. Vicky turned, following her gaze.

Her heart dropped.

* * *

"I can feed myself, you know."

Tina frowned, shoving a spoonful of something akin to mashed potatoes in his mouth. He coughed, pushing her hand away, irritated.

"Swallow."

He was propped up in bed, a series of bandages around his abdomen. Fortunately, the bullet had missed any vital organs, and had been a painless process to remove; all it took was some tweezers, a string, and an entire bottle of rum. Goblin ingenuity, at its finest.

His attacker was obsessing over his recovery. He snarled.

"I'm fine." He sighed, changing to a more pleasant tone. "Please, believe me, I do not hold any blame towards you."

Tina dropped her head while still holding the spoon out. She sniffed. "I know, but…" She started to sob. Colton rolled his eyes; this was just, _too much_. He stuck his arm out, placing a large hand on her shoulder. She jumped, crying even harder.

"Hush, there is no reason to cry. You cannot change the past, my lady."

She stopped, snapping her head up at him. Her brown eyes were red, tear tracks on her cheeks. " _My lady?_ " She hiccuped. "Where the fuck are we? Victorian England?"

He chuckled, giving her shoulder a squeeze. He had recently awoken only an hour prior, but his exhaustion lingered. His eyes glanced to the chair next to his bed.

 _It has her scent._

Tina saw his gaze, and smiled. "She took the night shift. Unfortunately, for you, I have the day shift." She padded his leg, standing up and grasping the bowl of potatoes. "I'll let you sleep, and come back in a few. When you do, you better get ready to eat like it was little red riding hood's grandmother."

His eyebrows furrowed.

Tina bit her lip. "And, I'm _really sorry_ about," she waved her hand over him "you know."

He nodded towards her, watching as she headed out the door, back into the inn. The loud shrieks and yells of goblins echoed into the room. Gadgetzan was not one of his favorite locations, but, it still provided some comforts that many other towns lacked. He laid back on the pillows, glancing out the circular, metal framed window.

The door creaked open. He turned his head, seeing a familiar face. She was in a long tunic with her hair stuck up on one side; her fingers were in her mouth. He padded the bed next to him, motioning for her to come over. She slowly eased herself in bed with him, placing her hands on his chest and face. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

"You said you saw this tattoo…at the same moment in which another portal formed?"

Estulan brushed a wisp to the side, as he continued reading the scroll in front of him. The strange, human females in his room were a cause for much concern; they were completely void of magical energy. All beings in every world and dimension he had been to, _always_ possessed some mana; from the burliest warrior, to the tiniest insect.

He had heard rumors of this mortal's existence. However, it appeared that it was no longer one, _but two_. He glanced up at the taller, dark-skinned female. He saw a faint flicker of light, followed by a rush of mana, emanating from her direction. Her hand reached behind her neck, grasping where the light had briefly flickered.

 _Something was claiming her._

He turned his head towards Vicky; his question still lingering. She nodded, appearing to be slightly preoccupied with her own thoughts. She was sitting on an old, wooden chair, while Tina walked around the Estulan's tower; a look of fascination on her face. She picked up a glass jar with a bright, blue liquid in it.

"Hey, what's this?"

Estulan turned, furrowing his eyebrows. "Something you need not touch, my dear."

She shrugged her shoulders, placing it back on the table.

"I will need to confer with those in Dalaran, I'm afraid. The dwindling vestiges of the green dragonflight still influences this land, and they are not akin to things of such a magical anomaly. Dire Maul is no more. I am all that remains."

Tina crossed her arms. "Exactly how old _are_ you?"

Estulan chuckled, glancing over the ancient text. "Over ten thousand years. I witnessed the destruction of the well, and resisted the ever-tempting siren's call, ushering us towards the sea…"

She raised an eyebrow, glancing at Vicky. Her friend was busy, twisting at a ring on her finger. Her _husband_ had insisted that she wear some sort of family heirloom. She could tell that Vicky was having a tough time coming to terms with…well, _being married to a bipedal dog_. It was understandable, and she was, actually, taking it quite well.

Estulan ended up providing little help, and they found themselves walking on the trail, heading back towards Feathermoon Stronghold. Their muscular escorts were roughly twenty feet in front of them.

"Have you slept with him yet?"

Vicky shook her head, stunned at the question. "Excuse me?"

Tina gave her a sly look out of the corner of her eye. "Cut the bullshit Vick, you know it's a fair question."

She frowned, sighing. "No…"

"Why not?"

Vicky shrugged her shoulders. "I'm…not sure. How would I go about that, anyways?"

Tina cleared her throat. "You usually start by taking your clothes off, then spreading your legs."

Tina noticed the head of the guard on the right glance back at her. She grinned.

Vicky scowled. "Why the hell are we friends?"

"Victims of circumstance, _my lady_. We are employed at the same location because no one else is stupid enough to work so cheap, and you were demoted."

She looked at the long, thick, swinging hair of the second guard. "I want to touch that." She glanced down to his ass. " _And that_."

Vicky snorted. "Good luck. They don't sleep with humans, unless…" She scrunched her eyebrows together, thinking. "I honestly have no clue. They're pretty xenophobic."

Tina sighed. "Racism; no matter what world I'm on, it's still there, haunting me."

They walked up the stairs of the stronghold. Gorgeous, tall females ran in and out of the barracks below, wielding wickedly curved blades. Tina rubbed her hands over her arms; she suddenly felt self-conscious. She saw Vicky run off, looking for Colton. Tina walked to the edge of the large, open room, gazing out over the alien waters.

"Your friend is incorrect, my lady." A deep, masculine voice sounded next to her.

Her eyebrow raised, and she glanced to her right. Guard #1 was staring out over the water, as well.

"In what context? Because about a million things are running through my head right now."

"Not all of my people are prejudiced against the other races. Some still retain the old ways, but many of us choose to walk a better path."

Tina smirked. "To be defined and categorized by your physical features can be quite distressing, it seems?"

He glanced back at her. "I sense you say such things based on experience, and not on mere observations. To me, you appear as human, nothing more."

"How about, nice-looking human?" She snorted, shaking her head.

He leaned into her. She froze, looking up into ethereal, glowing eyes. A masculine, woodsy smell surrounded her.

" _Beautiful_ human."

She continued to stare at him, managing to blink once. He bowed to her. "Ande'thoras-ethil."

She watched as he walked away, disappearing down the stairs on the other side of the room.

* * *

"Shaw doesn't want to risk bringing you across the ocean. Feathermoon is our strongest outpost in lower Kalimdor, and none of your attackers have been Night Elves, as of yet."

Vicky glanced up at him. "The Blood Elves were. They're both _elves_."

Colton shook his head. "Yes, but the Blood Elves are corrupted by a different kind of magic. They are not one of the original races to Azeroth, they developed later."

He watched her as she unknowingly grabbed at her neck, along the scars from his bite marks.

"It bothers you, doesn't it?"

She immediately dropped her hand, glancing away from him. "No, just a random itch."

He narrowed his eyes. "Vicky…"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so, okay, it's kind of starting to… _hurt_."

"The curse is still in your blood, desperately trying to attach itself to a new host."

Her eyes snapped to his. " _What?_ "

He growled, pacing around the small, covered alcove on the training grounds. An ancient, elven archway loomed over their heads, worn with time.

"The curse lingers. Unless it finds a host to bind to, it will remain, forever flowing through your veins."

Sadness fell across her face. Her shoulders slumped, and her gaze fell to the ground. "Will I die?"

He crossed his arms. "All things eventually end, treasure, but no. If anything, you will live longer." He debated for a few moments, then walked to her, touching her shoulders.

"I can…ease the pain."

"How?" She looked at him, confused.

"I gave it to you, so it still responds to its original host."

He moved has hand behind her head, easing it to the side to expose her neck. He bent over, running his tongue along the fading bite marks. The raging swirling of the curse ceased, and it began to calm itself within her bloodstream. He heard her gasp, and felt her grasp the front of his shirt. He closed his eyes, growling, forcing himself to step away.

He opened them, looking down on her flushed form.

"Better?"

She kept her focus on the ground, barely nodding her head.

They headed back towards the main building. The sun was beginning to set across the water, casting an even more surreal feel to the ancient city.

"Why didn't you nullify the marriage?"

He kept his vision focused forward. "What would be my motivation?"

She looked up at him. "To find someone that you love. Get married to them…have babies. You know, the whole nine yards."

He said nothing, as they continued forward, walking in silence. They came to the dormitories below, immediately diverting to the right, into the guest quarters. Bunk-beds lined the walls. She walked over to the nearest one, pulling herself up on the top bunk.

"I was engaged, once before." She jerked her head towards him. He was sitting in a wooden chair, taking his boots off.

"She died during the attack on Gilneas. A Forsaken ran his sword through her heart."

Vicky frowned, crossing her legs underneath her as she leaned forward on her elbows.

"Years later, I was on Draenor, passing by the Ring of Trials in Nagrand. I looked up, and there she was. Part of her body had decayed, but she was still beautiful to me. I still loved her."

He tossed his boots down and began to unbutton his outer vest.

"When I told her how I felt, she laughed, calling me a fool. That night, she tried to slice my throat open."

He threw his vest on the chair. "I ripped hers out, instead, and tore her to pieces."

Vicky's eyes went wide.

 _I'm married to a fucking psycho_.

She squeaked out a question. "What's the moral of the story?"

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. A few moments passed, and he chuckled.

"No, Vicky, I'm not going to tear you to pieces. She had planned to kill me well before her untimely death. My wealth was far more desirable."

Vicky's eyes widened. "Wealth? Oh, that's a total lie."

He frowned, his eyebrows scrunched together. "And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

She waved her hand at him. "Pfff, please, you're broke as fuck."

He closed his eyes, the image of the scythe flashing. Vicky watched in amazement; it never got old seeing him transform.

Blue eyes glanced up at her, and he walked towards the bunk-bed, grabbing the pillow on the lower bunk.

"I am far from, as you put it, 'broke as fuck', treasure."

She raised an eyebrow. "You keep calling me that…I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a term of endearment, or that you're mocking me."

He laughed, pulling himself up on the bunk with her. She scrambled over to the edge. "Excuse me…" She pointed down. "You're sleeping down there, _darling_. This bed is way too small to share with anything else except a gnome."

He snatched her by the waist, and pulled her to him, while lying down on his back. She fell on top, her arms pushing back, bracing herself over his chest. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"If I kick you off at 2 am, you'll have no one to blame except yourself."

He smiled, lifting a hand to brush her hair back, tucking it behind her ear. "I love your hair, I always have. Red is my favorite color."

Her facial expression became somber; her eyes portraying a far-off look. He leaned forward, shaking her gently.

"Vicky…what's wrong?"

She blinked, bringing herself back to the present. "Nothing…" She glanced up, reaching out to grab the extra pillow and twisting her body to the side, flattening her back against him.

"Night."


	7. Chapter 7

Tina barely touched her food. A few of the Night Elves were keeping a vigilant watch on her. She swallowed heavily, diverting her eyes off to the side. Vicky's eyebrows furrowed, and she glanced over her shoulder, spotting the unwanted audience from a distance.

"Oh…" She turned around, a smirk on her face. "Looks like someone has caught the attention of the locals."

Colton leaned to the side, glancing around Vicky. He laughed, shaking his head, stuffing another piece of bread into his mouth.

"I would advise against such distractions, Ms. Harris."

Tina turned to him, a sly grin forming on her mouth. She put her elbow on the table, and propped her head up on her palm. "You know, Vick, I think I might eat this boy up. He's just too goddamn adorable." She reached out, pinching his cheek. He turned red, batting her hand away, as he shook his head, shyly grinning.

Vicky watched from the other side of the table. She felt her stomach flutter.

"Not really, though. Blondes aren't my type." Tina flattened her hand, putting it on the side of her face while she shoved a piece of bread in her mouth, blocking the view from across the room.

"No, it appears that green is more your color."

She choked, thumping on her chest while Colton burst into laughter.

Vicky shook her head, laughing as she got up, grabbing her tray of food. The stronghold fed everyone in a canteen style setting; it was a military base, after all.

Tina watched as she walked away. "I feel bad for her."

Colton stopped chewing, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Her dad died a few years back. Her mother's in a nursing home; she doesn't even remember who Vicky is." Tina picked up a strange looking fruit, popping it in her mouth. It tasted exactly like a grape. "She deals with it alone."

Colton's gaze fell on his wife. She was smiling, speaking with one of the sentinels.

Tina glanced at the strange man next to her. "She's fond of you, you know." Tina shrugged. "She just…is a little oblivious when it comes to the romance department. But I can tell these things; I'm psychic."

He turned towards her. "I don't buy that for an instant."

"I predict, in the next minute, that you will be rained on."

They stared at each other. A few moments passed. "Looks like your prediction was wrong."

She dumped her cup of water on his head.

* * *

Something was chasing her.

Tina's heart felt like it was going to explode. Colton had told her not to stray far from the stronghold. Did she listen?

 _Fuck no_.

A deep growl emanated from close behind her. She heard the heavy steps of _something huge_. She burst through the brush, onto the dirt pathway. The tread on her tennis shoes gripped the small rocks, giving her an extra boost in speed. She glanced over her shoulder.

"Shit!"

Something that looked like an abominable snowman swiped at her with claws the size of butcher knives. She ducked, diverting to the right, back into the woods. She began to weave in and out of the tree trunks, using whatever in her environment to increase the distance between her and her pursuer.

It easily tore through the twigs and branches, barreling towards it prey. The yeti growled, becoming increasingly irritated at the difficult meal, only to have it keep escaping its grasp. It leaped forward, slashing its claws across Tina's back.

She shrieked and felt herself begin to tumble down the side of a large mound. The forest was dark, yielding almost no light, save for a few mysterious floating green bugs. She landed in a stream; water rushed over the wounds on her back, causing her to hiss in pain. The heavy vibrations of the beast became more pronounced, and she attempted to crawl out; her fingers frantically digging into the muddy shore.

Something large sprinted past her, and she heard a violent growl of a large cat. She continued to crawl away from the stream, pushing herself up against a small ridge. The darkness revealed little, except for faded outlines of the abominable snowman, and what, she assumed, was a tiger.

An object cut through the thick forest air, whizzing by her head. Her pursuer released a mangled shriek, falling over in a loud thud. She took a heavy breath, trembling as the adrenaline in her body quickly faded. Her back burned, and she gritted her teeth, trying to will herself to her feet.

The soft paws of the tiger became more distinct. She blinked, seeing nothing but blackness in front of her. Her head jerked back, when the long whiskers of an animal brushed against her cheek.

It began to purr.

A shaky hand reached out, touching the soft fur of the tiger. It pushed its head against her, continuing to purr even louder.

"Hey there, sweet baby…" She knew that large cats roamed the area; most belonging to some of the elves in the stronghold.

"I owe you my life…" She scratched behind its ears. It moved, and she slowly pulled herself to her feet. The gashes in her back stung, but she was still lucky to be alive.

She followed the sounds of the soft steps of the tiger in front of her, eventually stumbling out of the heavy brush and onto the main road. She looked down.

"Well, you're kind of a smoky color, aren't you? Still a tiger, I presume." The tiger circled around, before sitting. "And a boy." She laughed, kneeling.

"If I see you again, I will make sure to have something befitting of a handsome hero, such as yourself." She scratched behind his ears again. "Thanks again, baby."

Tina hurried down the path, unaware of the glowing eyes watching her from the forest.

* * *

Vicky was on the shoreline by the stronghold, digging her toes in the warm sand, sifting out flat rocks. It reminded her of the few family vacations from her childhood. Her dad's side of the family was from North Carolina, near the ocean. Her grandparents would take her down to the beach, and she'd spend the entire day, trying to perfect rock skipping, imagining that she would one day win the gold medal in the Olympics.

Until her dad told her there was no such sport.

Something smooth brushed against the bottom of her big toe, and she bent down, grabbing a good-sized rock, letting the pulsating waves wash the sand from it. It was flat enough to get the job done.

She leaned back, swinging her arm out, then across her chest, letting the rock release from her hand. The stone skipped a few times, before making a loud thud into the water. She grinned, satisfied.

"You have the most beautiful smile, treasure."

She turned towards Colton, who was standing behind her on the edge of the shore. He was in human form; his pants rolled up, while his hand gripped the tops of his boots. His hair had grown much longer since her last duration on this strange planet. The blonde locks twisted in the wind, held in place by a leather tie held at the nape of his neck.

"You want me to cut your hair."

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "If my lady is bothered by it, by all means."

She smiled, blushing a little as she turned away, facing the large island across the bay. It was covered in thick forest, but occasional flickers of light could be seen.

"The Naga still occupy the island. It is a constant thorn in Feathermoon's side."

Vicky scowled. "They're like cockroaches; can't ever get rid of them."

Colton looked at her with a confused expression. "When have you come into contact with the Naga?"

She waived her hand at him dismissively, as she stumbled her way back to the shore. "By Exodar. Off the coast, they had a little infestation problem. My introduction came by spearing one in the gut, after it chased me and I tripped, managing to fall on my back by accident. Guess it was dumber than originally expected."

Colton laughed, leaning forward to gently grab Vicky's arm, hauling her out of the water. Vicky was not short, by all means, although Tina greatly dominated her in height. She looked straight into Colton's face.

"You're short as a man."

His face took on a disgusted look. "I beg your pardon. I would have you know that I am quite above average for a male Gilnean. Also, you're standing uphill from me."

She snorted, walking farther from him, chuckling. "I'm kidding, Sir Touchy. It's absolutely fascinating with how large you become in wolf form." She scratched her head. "Where does all that _mass_ come from?"

"Victoria…"

She stopped, slowly turning around to face him. He was staring at her with a serious expression.

"Yes?" She rubbed at the sides of her arms; the nightly chill was beginning to pour in off the ocean.

Colton grabbed behind his neck; his eyes quickly diverting to the side. "My…mother. She wrote again."

Vicky shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"She wants to meet you."

Vicky's eyebrows raised, and a smirk formed on her lips. "I see now. That was the reason for this ring." She held up her hand, wiggling her fingers. "How silly of me. _And here I thought it was sentimental_."

He growled, curling his upper lip. "It is."

"Honestly, Colton, can you quit with the 'following orders' shit? I'll go to the county clerk's office myself and void the marriage, if you're too lazy. Wouldn't want to disappoint your _mommy_."

He took a few, quick steps towards her; his hands latching around her arms. She went rigid, staring up into his eyes. An orange haze permeated from behind his irises.

"You drive me insane, woman."

His mouth opened, and he nipped near her skin, pulling back before his teeth made contact. His eyes scanned her face erratically. A low growl escaped from his throat, and Vicky suddenly felt lips pressed on hers. The kiss was strong and harsh, eventually softening the more she allowed herself to respond. She moaned, lightly biting on his bottom lip. Another growl rumbled in his chest, and he grabbed her tighter, running his hands along her-

"Vicky!"

Tina was running up to them. Vicky pushed off Colton, quickly turning away; a deep, red flush present on her cheeks. She glanced at her friend, attempting to make out her features. Her jaw dropped.

"Holyshit Tina! What happened?!"

Tina stopped, putting her hands on her knees. She was taking deep breaths. "Bigfoot…tried to…kill me." She stood up, walking in a circle with her hand on her hip. Vicky saw the swipe marks across her shirt; dried blood was crusted around the edges.

"Colton! Get over here…"

* * *

"I never thought I'd say this, but you really need to start listening to your husband more."

Vicky turned to Tina and scowled. They were in Dire Maul, tucked away in a long, dark corridor, pushed up against each other. The city was rumored to be a hotbed of magical activity, and the best bet, yet, in trying to locate a portal back to Earth. However, a giant, walking tree had chased them out of the courtyard near the entrance. In their panic, they had become lost within the ancient ruins.

They had managed to sneak in through a crack in the side of the city walls. Vicky had stowed away some rough diagrams of the place under her shirt, which had been scattered out on a table near the Feathermoon "command center". It wasn't difficult to do: most of the Night Elves were fascinated with Tina…even the women. It was an effective distraction.

"Says the woman who was almost shred to pieces by a missing link. I believe he told you to not go frolic around in the woods like an idiot. Also, quit calling him my husband; it's just a front."

Tina snorted. "Right…because what I saw two days ago was, totally, ' _just a front_ '."

Vicky shut her mouth, tightening her lips.

"I don't know why you keep denying yourself a chance at happiness. It's like you're allergic to it."

Vicky's eyes narrowed on Tina, picking up on her features with the small amount of light surrounding them. "If you like him so much, then _you_ marry him."

Tina shook her head. "No thanks, I'm not really a dog person." A shuffling noise emanated from deeper down the corridor. Tina strained her ears, making out the small patter of footsteps. She grabbed Vicky's arm in a panic. "Something's coming."

A sleek, black shadow slowly crept towards them. The faint sound of purring lightly echoed in the corridor. Tina smiled, reaching out.

"Why, hello baby, fancy seeing you here." Thick fur passed through her fingers, and a large, warm body pushed up against her torso.

"Oh, a cat person, then."

Tina chuckled, scratching behind the ears of her furry friend. "Apparently so. However, I doubt that he transforms into a handsome, eligible bachelor."

Vicky's thoughts were racing, still miffed from their previous conversation. _Please be a druid, please be a druid…she's such a fucking know-it-all sometimes..._

The cat nudged Tina, pushing her towards the unexplored section of the corridor. Vicky stumbled after them, cautiously running her hands along the cold, damp stone walls. The light increased, until they found themselves out in the open courtyard again. In front of them was the walking tree, dead.

Tina snapped her head to Vicky. "I thought you said he didn't know?"

Vicky was shaking her head at a rapid pace. "He doesn't! There is no, possible, way. He thinks we went to see Estulan…"

Tina motioned at the tree. "Then how did it die?"

"I don't know, ask your goddamn cat." Vicky threw her hands in the air in frustration. Something glimmered out of the corner of her eye, and she glanced up. A large smile began to form.

 _Well, not a druid, but close enough_.

She turned to Tina, who was unaware of their current surroundings, intensely staring at the dead tree in fascination. Vicky gently touched her arm.

"Hey, let's get out of here. I don't think that we'll find anything that will help in getting back home."

Tina blinked a few times, nodding. She bent down, rubbing the large cat, contently laying at her feet.

"I'm sure I'll see you again, my sweet, furry baby." His tail flicked in response; his ears were pointed forward, monitoring the various noises from the, _supposed,_ abandoned city.

They quickly hurried towards the crack in the side of the eastern wall. Vicky pushed Tina through first, taking one last glance at the squatting figure, barely visible on top of a stone archway.

* * *

"The Cenarion Circle has requested your presence." Shandris glanced at the two foreign, human women behind priest. "You both are to accompany the Worgen on this journey, as well. It is imperative that you all travel immediately."

Colton stepped forward, releasing a low growl. "And risk their lives?"

The night elf turned her head towards him, her posture not wavering once. "We are at war, priest. Do not mistake our hospitality for an obligation." Colton snarled, his orange eyes glowing brighter. He quickly spun around, leaving the chambers hastily.

Shandris turned towards the humans in the room. Her disposition softened, and she walked to them, motioning one of her guards forward. Both Tina and Vicky spotted the glimmer of an item in their hand.

"Strange visitors from an even stranger land, do not despair. Elune may not have graced your birth, but she embraces your presence, none the less." The guard held a crystal orb, offering it to Vicky. She looked up at Shandris, then back at the guard. They both nodded, indicating that she should take the item. Vicky slowly reached out, letting her fingers slide across the smooth surface. The dark purple color within the glass began to lighten and swirl.

"You possess no magic of your own, yet, that which is perceived as a deficiency grants you unimaginable power in this world. It is no wonder that the darker beings of these lands covet you, desperately so. This orb is meant to grant magic to its wielder when desperation arises, and hope begins to die. May it serve you well in your quest."

Vicky picked up the orb, noticing its light weight. A low pulse resonated in her palm, and she felt an awkward sense of static electricity. She quickly put it in the satchel on her side.

Shandris walked to Tina. The Night Elf still towered over her, reaching nearer to seven foot. However, Tina was not afraid. She stood confidently, her eyes narrowed slightly, ever perceiving the actions of the warrior in front of her.

"Magic exists within you. Whether it came from your land, or was given to you when you arrived, I do not know. Your gift from Elune will reveal itself to you in time. However, I would like to bestow upon you a personal gift of my own." Shandris snapped her fingers, and an elf appeared from the side of the room, holding a large, ornate spear. She placed it in Tina's hands.

The wood was carved with a craftsmanship Tina had never seen. At the end were a few feathers of assorted colors, loosely tied together. It felt sturdy, but nothing more than a solid stick.

"This was my personal weapon, used during my years of training in close combat. May it serve you as well as it has me." Tina swung the spear around, testing the weight. She glanced up at Shandris, and bowed her head slightly, showing her gratitude.

"It is time for your departure. Ande'thoras-ethil."

The two women walked out of the large building, back onto the connecting pathway to the barracks. Tina glanced at Vicky.

"That was fucking weird."

Vicky bit her lip. "Ya think?" She saw Colton's bag sitting outside the barrack's entrance. "I get the feeling he's super pissed."

"Glad he's your problem and not mine." Tina was twirling the spear around. "I kind of like this thing."

"Good, can I have your gun?"

Tina stopped, facing Vicky. "Why?"

She held up the satchel on her hip. "Because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to beat anything to death with this flimsy Hallmark globe. If they're giving us weapons, that means we're fucked."

Tina's eyebrows furrowed. She had been afraid to touch her gun ever since she had, accidentally, shot Colton. It was probably for the best that Vicky have it.

"I guess. You know how to shoot, right?"

"I would have you know that I am the reigning champion of Duck Hunt."

Tina laughed.

* * *

" _We don't need another hero_."

"Shut up."

Silence enveloped the duo. The thick forest deadened most sound, even their footsteps.

" _We don't need to know the way home_."

Tina stopped, glaring at Vicky. Vicky scratched her head.

"Wait, no, we do. We do need to know the way home. My bad."

Tina released a disgusted sigh, turning away from Vicky. Colton was farther ahead, scoping out for any enemies they might stumble across. He had been in "a mood" ever since they had departed the Night Elf stronghold.

"Why do you hate Tina Turner so much? Everyone loves her."

Tina grunted, irritated. "My mother was a huge fan. Why do you think my name is Tina? It's all I heard growing up. _I can't stand her songs…_ "

Something rustled next to them in the thick brush. Tina swirled to her left; the spear pointed directly ahead. Vicky fumbled, holding the large branch she had picked up like a baseball bat. Slowly, a familiar figure slunk out of the bushes. Tina smiled, chuckling.

"Goodness baby, you need to quit sneaking up on us like that."

Vicky wrinkled her nose. "So is that the cat's official name; 'Baby'?"

Tina reached out, running her fingers through the thick hair. "Yep." She felt something around his neck, and pulled on it, seeing a thick, leather string. The cat dipped forward, and stepped back, slipping the item off his head. Tina's eyebrows furrowed; it was a necklace with a green pendant.

" _Now I've…had the time of my life…and I_ \- what the fuck is **_that_**?" Vicky was leaning over Tina's side, staring at the dangling necklace. The green pendant twinkled in the dim light of the forest. Vicky glanced at the cat, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you're not a druid?"

The cat ignored her, sitting down and lifting a leg; he started cleaning his privates. Vicky grimaced. "God, I hope not…" She glanced up, squinting her eyes, trying to locate any resemblance of a figure.

"Do you think he has an owner?" Tina turned to look at Vicky with a questioning look. "Like, is this a form of an identification tag?"

Vicky contorted her lips, her eyebrows scrunching together. "I'm not sure, honestly..." She was staring into the thick brush.

Tina's mouth formed a half-smirk as she observed her friend. "Girl, are you on drugs?"

"Maybe." She straightened her posture and turned back towards Tina.

Tina bent down to put the necklace back on the cat. He jerked his head away from her, and growled, getting up to move a few feet from her, before resuming his "bath".

"Looks like you're stuck with it. I guess cats tag their owners here, instead." Vicky snorted.

Tina shrugged and put it on. The pendent fell halfway down her chest; it was designed for something larger. She felt a slight warmness, but thought nothing more.

Colton had double backed, quickly coming up on the two females. He was still, rightfully, upset from the impromptu eviction from Feathermoon. He had crammed a letter to Shaw in a mailbox before they left, asking him to escalate the situation through the proper channels.

In the meantime, he had to make sure they arrived at the center of Desolace, safe and unharmed. Vicky glanced up at him, a warm smile spreading across her face. He found his disposition softening, and he reached out, running the soft pad of his finger across her cheekbone.

"Cut it out. I don't want to puke." Tina walked past them with a disgusted look on her face. Vicky shook her head, stepping away from Colton. A mischievous smile formed on her lips.

" _Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken_ …"

Tina put her hands over her ears. "Make it stop!"

* * *

"Ya be wearin ya hair like da Zandalari, girl."

Tina found herself sitting next to a troll in the back of a wagon. She was doing her best to avoid staring at his genitals, which were halfway hanging out of his loincloth.

 _His dick would cause the alarm on a metal detector to explode._

"Well, _obviously_ , the Zandalari have great taste."

Seshi clicked his teeth. "Ya don't be havin a clue what I be referrin to, do ya?"

Tina frowned, rubbing her arm. She kept her eyes averted to the opposite side. Vicky and Colton were on the wagon ahead of her. It had run out of space, and somehow, Tina got stuck on this planet's version of the short bus, heading towards some druids' encampment.

Unfortunately, the _thing_ next to her was also heading in the same direction.

"Ya not from here, are ya? Old Seshi can sense dees things."

Tina kept her focus in front of her, staring at the ominous figure shrouded in a black cloak, covered in a sheet of thin ice. Their weapon was the size of a surfboard. "What gave it away?"

Seshi laughed, some spit flying out of his mouth and landing on her arm. She looked at the spot, horrified.

"We be headin to da heart of Desolace. Da druids been busy, dey have."

Tina looked around at the barren landscape before her. "Desolace seems like an accurate name."

"It wasn't always like what ya see now."

She glanced up at the bizarre… _man_. "What do you mean?"

"Was a lush and vibrant land, in da past."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?"

Seshi chuckled, taking a long drag on his pipe. "What always happens, girl. _War_."

She scratched at her head; her braids were starting to itch. She frowned, thinking if she should take them out, and if anyone on the planet knew how to braid. Her eyes fell on the half shaved, half braided head of the troll.

 _Well, anyone she'd let touch her._

An awkward silence fell over the three travelers; the clicking sounds of the horse hoofs being the only noise in the barren expanse. Tina cleared her throat.

"So what are druids here, anyways? Is this going to be a Celtic get together; where we all stand around in a circle, holding hands and chanting Enya songs?"

Seshi stared at the human female, clicking his teeth.

"They harness the power of nature, in an attempt to bring about balance…sometimes, restoring life. That is what the Cenarion Circle hopes to achieve."

Tina's eyes widened. The voice from the hooded figure did not sound like a living being…it almost sounded mechanical; acoustically impossible. She felt a cold breeze blow past her, and she shivered.

"Da Death Knight be correct. Dis only da beginning." He pointed ahead at a large collection of trees in the distance, with one of his three, giant fingers. "Soon, da whole land be alive again."

"We shall see, troll."

Tina glanced back and forth at the uneasy conversation happening in front of her. She narrowed her eyes on the black figure. " _What_ _the fuck_ is a Death Knight?" She blinked, waving her hands in front of her. "You know what? _I don't want to know_ …"

She reached in her pocket, tossing a piece of jerky from the wagon. "Baby" was languidly prodding along behind the slow-moving carriage. He stopped, eagerly consuming the treat.

Seshi narrowed his eyes. "Dat be ya pet, girl?"

Tina shook her head. "Nah, he just seems to keep following me. Took out some abominable snowman that attacked me the other day. I'm lucky to be alive…"

Icy blue eyes glanced up at Seshi from under the black hood; they both had the same inclination. The troll gripped around a charm on his necklace, willing the spirits to carry his vision.

"Ah…dat be _interestin_."

Tina turned back to him. "What?"

He let go of the charm, resuming his slow intake of smoke from his pipe. "It be nothin, girl." He slowly released the smoke, forming a series of small rings. "My ex-wife's brotha…he be a druid."

Tina's eyebrows furrowed. "Did y'all divorce because of…you know…" She glanced down.

The Death Knight laughed.


	8. Chapter 8

"Atherton…ya came."

Colton growled, turning away from Raj. They were behind one of the various cottages the Cenarion Circle had built in the newly developed forest of Desolace. It provided some privacy.

"Why did you summon me, Zulrajas?"

Raj took a long drawl of his pipe.

"Ya be knowin why, mon. Haven't ya felt it?"

Colton sighed, twisting his head to the side. Silence followed for a few moments. "Yes." He turned back to the troll. "But how?"

Raj shook his head. "I dun know mon. I was there. I saw da king fall."

Colton's gaze fell to the side. "I feel it…ever burning through my veins. The more I deny it, the more it pushes itself to the surface." He glanced at Raj. "I can't go back there."

"Ya may have no choice. Faldris be dead."

Colton's mouth fell open, displaying an impressive array of fanged teeth. Raj took another drag if his pipe.

"We found em, strung up from da rafters. Dey had bled da elf to death." He glanced straight to Colton. "Dey took his blood, mon; dere wasn't even a drop left."

Colton shook his head, his composure returning. "Then let them bleed me dry, I care not."

Raj pulled the end of his pipe away, eyeing the Worgen in front of him. "Ya not the only one dey after…" Colton sharply turned, leaning towards the troll, his orange eyes wide with panic.

"Da girl was bitten; da damn Undead couldn't keep their rotten mouths shut. Dey will come, but dey won't kill her. No…not at first…"

Colton's head twisted sharply to the side. He could make out Vicky's form through the thick brush. She was sitting in front of a small fire, stabbing it with a stick.

"When do we leave? Where will she be safe?" His mind reeled as panic set in.

"We have time, mon. A portal be ready to transport us in Moonglade, by da next full moon." He took a drag of his pipe. "Da females will be separated. Dey do not know there be two." He nodded. "Ya mate will be left with da elves."

"And Tina?"

Raj's mouth formed a wicked grin. "She be da decoy."

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?"

Vicky shook her head. "I don't know, but it's not good. Call me crazy, but ever since coming here I have sort of felt something." She grabbed at where the bite marks used to be on her neck. "It's tied to Colton, though."

Tina's eyes went big. "Oh shit girl, are you going to turn into a dog?"

She glanced up at her friend. "Will you shut up? I haven't yet, have I? And that was months ago, anyways. He told me I wouldn't. The shit he infected me with, it kind of just…hangs out in my blood stream."

Tina gave her a disgusted expression. "Don't touch me…ever." Vicky stood up, heading towards the pile of twigs and branches. She gave Tina the finger.

Tina scratched the top of her head, relieving an itch. "How did it happen, anyways?"

Vicky sighed, tossing a handful of twigs into the fire. "The Cliffs Notes version: I was blackmailed by these zombie-like people and experimented on. If I couldn't convince him to bite me, they would have killed him. End of story."

"And he didn't refuse?"

She wiped the dirt from her hands, glancing over at Tina. "Of course he did, but he had no choice. Why do you think he's stuck to my hip? He feels guilty."

Tina's eyebrows furrowed together. She reached up, scratching at her head, again. "I don't think-"

Vicky made a dismissive motion with her hand, cutting Tina off. "Look. He couldn't stand me before that happened. I may not be the most observant person in the world, but I'm not stupid."

Tina frowned. She glanced behind Vicky, seeing Colton in the distance, next to a tiny shack. His eyes were focused on Vicky; a look of concern mixed with love. Something soft tapped her shin, and her gaze was directed down. Baby was asleep next to her, basking in the warmth of the fire; his tail erratically jerking over the soft ground.

"Hello, little one."

An incredibly deep voice resonated from over Tina's shoulder. Vicky's face lit up with a radiant smile, and she skipped past Tina on her log seat. Tina turned her neck; her face froze.

"Holyshit."

Vicky's arms were around a giant, bipedal bull. A small, familiar figure appeared next to them.

"Hiya toots." He looked at Tina. "Oh, your friend's not dead, yet."

Tina's eyes widened, and she tilted her head. "Why you little-"

"Come, my dear friend. I am eager to learn of what has transpired since we last met." Mingan chuckled, motioning the group to follow him back to their tent.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

Vicky was following Colton along a narrow pathway, which cut through the thick forest. They had arrived at Darnassus a few hours ago. It was meant to be a short visit; only to restock on supplies before they traveled to Moonglade. Tina's escort would not arrive in Desolace until evening, as she had adamantly insisted that she would kill herself before she mounted a gryphon. Vicky shook her head; her friend was a phobic idiot.

They stepped into a small clearing. The ground was covered in a thick layer of moss, reminding her of a nicely mowed lawn. In front of them were a series of houses, which mimicked something from eighteenth century England. A large, gloomy tree was to the left; it was quite a morbid contrast from the rest of the elven city.

Colton stopped, turning to face her. He put a large hand on her shoulder. She watched as he closed his eyes, seeing the familiar foggy mist surround them. She looked at his hand as it began to shrink; the hair disappearing and being replaced with pale skin. She turned back to his face to find herself staring into beautiful blue eyes. His hand moved to her face, and he brushed his thumb across her cheekbone.

"To visit my family." His smile faded, and he grabbed her hand, tugging her forward. Vicky's heels dug into the ground, and she used her body weight to stop his momentum.

"No, wait…this is a bad idea…"

He stopped, dropping her hand while he turned to face her. "Why would it be a 'bad idea'?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Do you not _want_ to be with me?"

Vicky's eyes widened. Her mouth was slightly agape, as she tried to think of a response. Her conversation with Tina stumbled into the forefront of her mind.

 _He only feels guilty. He doesn't, actually, love you._

"Colton." The surprised voice of an older woman came from behind him. Vicky leaned to the side, finding a woman in an elegant black dress, standing in front of one of the houses. Her face was slightly worn, but still held a vibrancy to it. A familiar color of blue fell on Vicky.

"Is this your wife?"

Vicky clamped her mouth shut. Her eyes glanced up at Colton, seeing him grab the back of his neck; a nervous trait she had noticed him do during stressful situations.

"Hello mother. This is Victoria."

The woman's gaze fell on her again. "I see."

Vicky nervously swallowed.

* * *

"You and Colton met, where, exactly?"

Vicky looked like she recently had the life sucked out of her. She was sitting in a room straight out of the Victorian age. Creepy portraits of people in top hats and old-fashioned dresses were on the walls. She had a cup of tea in her hand, in chinaware that she assumed was expensive.

Colton's mother had known of their "marriage" for quite some time, and was not at all thrilled with how it had been handled. Colton and his mother were in the kitchen, having a conversation that was, most likely, painful. Vicky was suffering through her own painful conversation with his sister. The woman was a snob.

"The back of a Motel 6."

His sister looked at her with a confused expression. Vicky had been sitting in this room for the past hour, enduring an onslaught of carefully worded questions, dripping with disdain. She put her tea down; she had had enough.

"That's it, I'm out of this circus." She stood up, walking towards the door. Colton suddenly appeared. He had maintained his human form ever since they stepped into the Gilnean portion of Darnassus. He gave her a confused look.

"I'm bailing. I'll see you at the bar on the sane side of the city." She passed him, walking into the hallway. The door shut behind her, and she immediately heard shouting from the two siblings. She shook her head, making her way towards the front door.

She grabbed her satchel on the table, opening it to make sure she had enough money. After what she had just endured, she deserved to get passed-out drunk.

A delicate hand snatched her elbow. She followed it back, eventually seeing the worn face of his mother. Her eyes had a wetness around them. Vicky frowned.

"My dear, please, stay. I apologize for my daughter."

Vicky shrugged. "It's okay." She looked back at his mother. "You know, we're not married in the typical sense. This is part of his job. It is simply a façade, a cover. No need to worry about _tainting_ your bloodlines with an apparent commoner."

The woman's hand began to tremble. A tear fell down her worn face. "You do not love my son?"

Vicky 's expression went blank, and her gaze fell to the side. What were her feelings towards him? They had seemed to merely be thrown together, struggling to coexist in whatever their relationship would be defined as. She remembers hauling him out of the lake, after their escape from Undercity. She had performed CPR to the point of passing out from exhaustion, bursting with tears of joy when he finally drew a weak breath. He had remained unconscious, but she cradled him, sobbing uncontrollably, terrified that he wouldn't survive.

A squeeze brought her back to the present. The older woman's eyes had changed from one of sadness, to one of happiness. "I did not think so. I may not see as well as I once did, but I can still see some things, my child." She removed her hand. Glancing around, she found her cloak, throwing it over her shoulders. "Come, I would like to spend time with my lovely daughter-in-law."

* * *

Tina had her arms crossed in front of her. Baby was sitting at her side; his tail twitched in irritation.

"Wonderful. So not only did you lie to my face, but you, also, have dumped Vicky in something akin to hell." The cat growled. Tina motioned her hand at him. "Not now, Baby. We'll kill him later; too many witnesses."

Colton turned to her, giving her an irritated look. "That is someone else's pet, you know."

Baby growled again. Tina patted his head. "Don't listen to him. He is a dog, after all. They secretly hate cats."

Colton latched his pack shut; provisions would be limited in Pandaria. His gaze fell on a chest in the room. He slowly walked up to it, eyeing it suspiciously.

 _Would Raj have kept it?_

He cracked open the lid. Tina stood on her tip toes, trying to peer over his shoulder. She saw a large staff emerge from the giant chest. His hand gripped it, and the end lit up in a stunning array of bright light. The end was formed into a large, golden metallic circle. Inside was a floating round rock; kept in place by the intense blue light that surrounded it. Blue crystals decorated the remainder of the piece, each one being inserted into a metallic casing, inlayed with carvings. The ornate staff began to hum.

"What is _that_?"

Colton grinned, lifting his staff. "It is called Icecore. It is a weapon of the Titans, and was what I used until the point I walked away from my previous station."

Tina's eyes were wide in amazement. "What did you used to do?"

Colton cleared his mind, focusing his mana through the staff.

"I was a Lieutenant in the Stormwind army. Years ago, I was stationed on Draenor, with orders to ensure that the Alliance would flourish in the new territory." He opened his eyes, focusing his gaze on Tina. "However, the demons of my past refused to die. I, willingly, relinquished my titles and authority to another, and took a meager position within the shadow organization, SI:7."

Tina's eyebrow raised. "So…a mage, then?"

Colton laughed, shaking his head. "Not quite. I am a priest, although, I was expected to take a much more _holy_ path. However, I felt that training should never be so lax, and I refused to rely on a guardian angel to succeed where my own skill had failed." His orange eyes were wide with excitement. "Eventually, I studied under the tutelage of a dwarven master, in Anvilmar. He was disciplined in nature, and his teachings reflected as such."

"A dwarf?"

He smiled, his eyes portraying a distant look as he ran his hands over his staff. "Yes. The dwarves have always been one of the strongest races to walk along the path of the Light." He glanced down at Tina. "I was sent to Dun Morogh as a lad, and spent much of my youth nestled between the majestic mountains."

"Sounds romantic."

He gave her an incredulous look.

Tina caught a glimpse of Seshi walking past the door. The other troll, Raj, was with him.

"Raj is your friend?"

Colton nodded, reaching back into the chest to pull out his old armor. "Aye. He knows me better than anyone else." He blinked, then turned back to face Tina. "Well, _not anymore_."

Tina gave him a warm smile. "She's going to be pissed when she figures out that you left her with her _mother-in-law_. And how is that considered hiding?"

"The maneuver wasn't meant to hide her; it was meant to confuse. Our pursuers cannot tell the difference between you and her; they only know that there is a strange foreigner, carrying remnants of the anima within her, unbound. She is, currently, surrounded by an ancient magic; it will mask her oddness." He motioned to Tina. "You carry magic within you. I have noticed it growing during the brief time we have been acquainted." He fastened the last bit of his armor, reaching behind him to attach his staff to the holster. "My mother is a powerful warlock. I would be surprised if anything could make it past the front gate." He heard a whistle.

"Lookin' sharp."

* * *

Her arms were sore. Colton's mother, Gillian, had insisted they stop at the few shops along the way. She could barely see where she was walking, struggling to balance various bags full of strange food and household items.

It was this world's version of going to Target, she supposed.

"Victoria, what is your station in your country."

Vicky's face contorted in confusion behind the bag. _Who the fuck says 'station'?_

"I presume you are referring to my function in society, Mrs. Atherton. I work for the city of Chicago as a medical examiner."

Gillian's eyebrows furrowed. "I apologize, my dear. I do not understand what a 'medical examiner' is."

Vicky took a deep breath, slowly releasing it. "I cut corpses open to confirm, or explain, the cause of death." She grimaced, waiting for a condemning response. To her surprise, his mother began to chuckle.

"Oh my, I cannot imagine Colton took that very well."

Vicky snorted. "Not exactly." They walked forward a few more steps. "You're not a…whatever Colton is?"

Gillian glanced over her shoulder. "A priest? I am afraid not. His father used to tell me that Colton's affinity in life came about as a punishment for mine."

"That's really a shitty thing to say to your kid's mother."

Gillian chuckled again. "No dear, you misunderstand. His father was merely jesting, although, we both were surprised. My husband is also a warlock."

"Is? He's still around?"

"Mhmm." Gillian stopped, opening the gate, allowing Vicky to pass her, before latching it shut. "He is in Stormwind, currently serving as an advisor to Lord Genn Greymane."

Vicky realized she knew very little about Colton's race, and the politics associated with it. She also had no idea what a 'warlock' was. _Maybe they break various locks during wars?_

"He was not pleased with the sudden announcement of his son's marriage."

Vicky rolled her eyes. She was still staring at the brown bag in her arms, unable to display her displeasure with the current conversation. It was probably for the best. However, she hoped that Colton would be ready to leave, asap.

The front door opened, and Vicky walked in, immediately making a b-line to the left, towards the kitchen table. She dumped the contents of her arms, quickly leaning forward to keep the apple-like fruit from rolling off the edges.

"Okay, well, it was nice to meet you Mrs. Atherton. I think we need to get going, though." She stood up, heading out of the kitchen and down the hallway. The small sitting room door was open; his sister was in the same position, a snooty expression on her face.

"He left. Didn't he tell you, _dear sister?_ "

Vicky's eyes went wide, and she spun around, almost sprinting towards the front door. A hand snatched her elbow, causing her to stumble forward a bit, halting to a stop.

"Victoria, please, stop." Gillian was staring at her with pleading eyes. "He begged me to keep you safe. Please…"

Vicky's eyes narrowed. "Where is he? Where is Tina?"

"They have traveled to another land."

Gillian let go, and Vicky began to walk in a circle, her fingers shoved in her mouth, as she bit around the edges. "They split us up." She put pressure on the side of her neck, the old wound beginning to ache again. "It's not just the curse. There is _something else_."

She turned to his mother, holding her hands out in front of her; they began to shake. "I feel it. The curse keeps trying to embed itself, and can't. This other _thing_ …it lingers, festering and pooling inside."

Gillian stared at her, her face stoic and expressionless. "It is the anima. A perversion of the fundamental essence of all living things. It waits, ever longing to rebind into one."

"Where is it from? Is it another part of his curse?"

The older woman shook her head. "No, my child, the anima is something entirely different." She blinked, leaning towards Vicky. "He never told you, did he?"

Vicky slowly shook her head. A small trickle of blood fell along the tip of her index finger. She started to chew on her thumb. Gillian reached out, grabbing her hands, and pulling her along with her into the kitchen.

"Come, child. I will tell you all that I know."

* * *

Tina motioned her hand across the width of the portal.

"Aaaaaaand here we have it, folks. The wardrobe to Narnia."

Seshi glanced at her from his spot on the wooden log. They had formed the portal in front of his tent, at the edge of Moonglade. Raj and Colton were off to the side, discussing their upcoming journey. "Ya be speakin some strange words, girl."

Her gaze lowered on the troll; her eyebrows furrowing.

"You ever think about, you know, wearing something that covers your dick?"

"If it be botherin ya, girl, don't look."

"Yes, but, come on…there's no possible way you could fit anything else in it. It's, like, 90% metal."

Seshi reached down, using one of his three fingers to lift his manhood to the side, displaying a patch of dark, blueish skin. "Undaneath…" He scratched, bringing his hand back to his long, pointed nose, and sniffing. Tina visibly gagged, turning away from him.

The soft patter of paws sounded in her right ear. She looked down, a large smile spreading on her face.

"Come to say goodbye, Baby?" The cat ran the length of his body along her leg, wrapping his tail around her in a sign of affection. He sat at her feet, lowering his head; loud purrs could be heard as she scratched behind his ears. Seshi watched her, noticing the glimmer of the green pendant around her neck.

"Ready?" Tina glanced up, seeing Colton staring at her. He turned, walking through the shimmering portal. Raj passed her, nodding at Seshi on the log as he disappeared after Colton. She stood up, grabbing her bag and spear.

"Later, Seshi." Tina's form quickly vanished, leaving the troll by himself in the small clearing. The portal wavered, eventually fading with a loud pop. Seshi clicked his teeth, taking another long drag of his pipe. He released a long stream of smoke. Footsteps neared.

"Ya been delvin into dangerous waters, elf."

The tiger rose to its feet, growling at the troll as he cautiously made his way to his master.

"She not be of dis world, boy."

"A protection charm hardly seems to be born of ill content, troll."

Seshi laughed, coughing on the smoke. He pounded on his chest a few times, taking deep, raspy breaths until his lungs settled. He took a drag.

"Maybe…" He exhaled a long, continuous stream of smoke. "She not be immortal…yet."

Elyarion raised a thick, dark green eyebrow at the troll.

A large smoke ring appeared. "She be marked by da Loa."

"You lie." He sneered, showing an elongated fang.

Seshi chuckled. "You be no priest of Elune, boy. You live with da animals…hunt with da spirits of da land. You know dees things…"

He leaned forward, pulling the end of his pipe away from his mouth. Red eyes narrowed on Elyarion. "Har'koa claims da girl. Dis be good. Dis also be why you follow her…"

"The Drakkari are no more. Their gods have died with them."

"You are wrong, boy…" Seshi leaned back, diverting his gaze towards the location where the portal had been.

"I have seen many tings...da spirits are as kind as dey are cruel." He glanced to the Night Elf. "Ya be part of it now." He stood slowly, grabbing at his back as it popped. Hunching over, he made his way towards Elyarion. Dushan growled.

A green, wispy spell began to form on his hand. He reached behind him, tossing a worn and chipped idol on the ground. An eerie, green light flared, as whispered voices echoed in the dark forest. Seshi raised his arms, directing his spell. It slowly spread, encircling the elf.

"Da mate will wander far, but never forget dat which ya be bound to." He lowered his arms, turning to resume his seat on the overturned log. The wooden idol caught flames, quickly disappearing into the wet earth below.

"One Drakkari still lives..."

Elyarion stood there, frozen. He looked at his calloused hands, seeing a dim, green sheen flicker, then die. His pet pressed against his leg, whimpering. He eventually stumbled back onto the main path, shocked with what had just happened.

Seshi took another long drag, humming to himself. A baby raptor tore out of his hut; a large chunk of deer meat dangling out of its mouth.

"Ya lil' shit! Dat was gonna be my dinner!"


	9. Chapter 9

Vicky was sitting on the edge of a small bed, her knees pulled to her chest, gazing out the window. It had been two weeks since Colton had left. The gears of her mind were churning.

While his mother was kind, she was no fool. Vicky had made a few attempts to go after him; each time being disappointed by his mother foiling her plans. The flight masters had all been warned, as well as the few night elves responsible for managing the portals in the main building of the city.

She would need to start thinking outside of the box. She knew that Mignon and Biznel were still in Desolace. Their intention was to set up shop for, at least, three months, as they tried to capitalize on the steady number of travelers moving about between Stonetalon Mountains and Feralas.

Biznel was a mage; he could portal her to Colton. Mingan was a high-ranking druid of the Cenarion Circle, and he knew _exactly_ where her husband was. It was simply a question of getting to Desolace.

She sighed, closing her eyes. Over the last few days she had come to the shocking realization that she did, in fact, love him, but whether he would ever return it was open for debate. However, she couldn't sit around on her ass, waiting to find out if he survived his hasty suicide missing. Tina was also stuck in the middle of this nightmare, and the sooner she could get her friend out of it, the better.

Vicky pulled herself out of bed, grabbing the cloak near the door, throwing it over her shoulders. She needed to get out of the house. Her "house arrest" granted her the freedom of anywhere within the city's walls, and right now, the bar sounded like a great idea.

She nodded at Colton's mother on the way out the door, quickly stepping onto the dank pathway, out towards the better-looking part of Darnassus. Eventually, she found herself in the open sitting area of the local inn. The Night Elf receptionist welcomed her, and Vicky took a seat near the edge of the railing. A few jars of wine were on the table, and she picked up a pewter looking cup, sniffing the contents of one of the jars. Shrugging her shoulders, she poured herself a drink.

"How did you escape?" A sweet voice sounded from behind her right shoulder.

"Easy; I reduced him to ashes. My dear, I am one of the most powerful mages to have graced Azeroth's surface. You cannot, honestly, believe that a simple dog could best me in combat?"

A few soft patters of clapping hands followed. Vicky's eyes went big, and she slowly turned her head. It was Martyn…and he was surrounded by three female elves, all drooling over his stories of arrogant feats of bullshit.

"I am a master of fire, as well as illusions, my sweet moonberry." The young elven girl blushed. At least Vicky assumed she was young. Either that, or she had an IQ below Forrest Gump.

Vicky stood, walking quickly to the table; her eyes narrowed in on Martyn. He had his arm around a different girl, rubbing her arm while ever so slightly moving his hand lower. His head languidly turned towards the figure approaching.

"You!" He pushed the girl to the side, grabbing his bag underneath the table. His hands shook as he began tossing a countless number of gold on the table.

"Here, take it! Take it all! Just tell him to leave me alone!"

Gold coins rolled off onto the floor, stopping next to one of the girls. Tears swelled up in her eyes, and she quickly pulled herself to her feet, running out of the bar. The other two were not far behind.

 _As well as illusions…_

A sinister smile formed on Vicky's lips. She casually strode forward, leaning across the table, glaring down on the mage. He slumped back in his seat, his eyes wide with fear. She picked up a gold coin, turning it so it caught the light of a nearby lamp. She shined it directly into his eyes, causing him to squint.

"You think me a whore, so easily bought off?"

Martyn gulped, nervously. Vicky leaned in closer. Her hand moved across the table, causing most of the contents to splatter on the floor in a loud clash. A nearby child started picking up some coins, oblivious to the scene in front of her. Her father scrambled, snatching her arm and pulling her towards the entrance.

Vicky reached out, grabbing the fine silk of Martyn's collar. She jerked him forward, moving her mouth near his ear. She lowered her voice.

"No, I'm afraid not. However, I have a better idea, _mage._ "

* * *

Tina was sitting on a flat pillow on the floor of the local Chinese restaurant. Bipedal pandas were busily fixing food and wiping down tables. She nervously ran her fingers over the pendant of her necklace. For some strange reason, it helped to calm her nerves.

"Are all the people in your land burnt?"

Tina tightened her lips, slowly turning to her left. Innocent brown eyes stared at her, anticipating an answer; his little fuzzy ears twitched.

"Yeah! What are they like Ms. Tina?!"

Tina was sitting at the kid's table. The adult's table had run out of room.

"I'm not _burnt_. My body, simply, produces a different type of melanin." She sighed. "There are all types of people in my land, of all colors and shapes."

"Are some of them a triangle?"

A small panda girl smacked the boy on his arm. "Shao, don't be stupid. How would they walk?"

Tina felt small hands touching her hair. "Ms. Tina, would you let us play with your hair? _It's beautiful_."

Her eyes glistened a bit, and she weakly nodded her head. "Sure. It's all yours."

"Yay!" The kid's table exploded in excitement.

* * *

"I curse the day I first met you."

Vicky had her bag strapped over her shoulder. They were ducking behind the bushes next to the flight master. She had told Gillian she was heading to the bank to balance the checkbook.

His mother had stared at her with a confused expression.

"Yeah, yeah, just make sure your spell lasts." She turned towards him, a sly grin on her lips. "Unless you want another visit from Atherton." Martyn's eyes went big.

Another hippogryph landed, and a young elven woman jumped off. She had a bag in her hands, similar to Vicky's. She quickly strode off towards the city.

"Perfect." He held his hands out, placing a palm over her head. "Stay still."

Vicky felt a strange tingle spread across her skin. Her eyes ached, and she closed them, trying to calm her nerves from the bizarre feeling permeating through her body. She opened them, blinking.

"Whoa."

"You have roughly until sunset before the spell fades." He stood, walking out of the bush, not even taking a second glance behind him. Vicky watched as he shook his hair, patting it down before he walked by a few elven women. He gave them an over-dramatic bow, reaching out to take one of their hands and placing a kiss on the knuckles.

Vicky slowly made her way out onto the path. Her sight fell on the flight master, as her slender fingers latched around a few coins in her pocket. She nervously glanced back at the bear-tree in the middle of the city. Her eyes picked up on the same color of white that her hair was now.

"Back so soon, Illyna?"

Vicky simply nodded, sticking her hand out with a few gold coins. The flight master raised a thick, blue eyebrow, giving her a quick look up and down.

"In a hurry, I see. Okay, where to?"

"Desolace." Vicky followed up with a cough, motioning towards her throat.

"Ah, you've picked up something. Probably from the Gilneans; they are cursed humans, after all. It's very unfortunate; I do pity them."

Vicky found her upper lip curling, on instinct. She straightened her face, replacing it with a fake smile, nodding her head. The flight master handed her the reigns of the bird… _thing_. She slowly pulled herself on the saddle, tightening the strap of her bag.

"Enjoy your flight!" She gripped the reigns, holding her breath as the massive beast took off into the air. Minutes later, she was gliding over the stretch of water between the elven island and the shores of the mainland.

Leora was busily fumbling with the straps of a hippogryph, preparing him for the next flight. Footsteps neared, and she turned, smiling at the next traveler. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Illyna? How did you get back here? You just left…"

Illyna's head turned to the side; her glowing white eyes narrowing in on the Leora. "Are you sure, my friend? Perhaps you need to rest a bit. You do work long hours."

Leora glanced up at the sky, the back at the reigns in her hand. "Maybe…you're right." She turned her head, focusing in on a figure quickly heading towards them. It was Lady Atherton.

"Leora! Have you seen my daughter?"

"Carling? No, my lady."

Gillian stopped, putting her hands on her hips as she took deep breaths in and out. "No, my _daughter-in-law_."

Leora glanced to the side, raising an eyebrow in thought. "Oh, the strange woman. No, not since she had stopped here a few days ago. I politely declined, as you had kindly asked me to do, my lady."

Illyna chuckled, taking the reins from Leora's hands. "Poor dear. Not only are you missing people, but you're seeing double of others!" She placed her hand on Leora's shoulder. "Do take care, my friend. You deserve a rest." The hippogryph pushed off the ground, flapping its wings and sending both Leora and Gillian's dress hems fluttering in the current.

Gillian reached out, touching Leora's elbow. "My dear, what did you see?"

Leora looked up at the disappearing form of Illyna in the sky. "I could have sworn she had left, not more than ten minutes ago."

Gillian's eyes darkened. She had been tricked.

* * *

Colton kept staring at her. They were on the back of a wooden wagon, making their way through Townlong Steppes, headed towards another portal that would connect them to their end destination. The journey through the "Vale of Eternal Blossoms" was more akin to the "Vale of Clinching Buttholes".

Tina grabbed at the side of her arm, where a decent sized gouge had been. One of the giant, stone humanoid cats had slashed her. Colton had shoved the end of his staff through the cat's gullet, and she held out her arm, noticing a few spots of blood she had missed. He had healed her, but the aching remained.

Most of the hostile denizens of the Steppes had long been eradicated from the land. Mountains dotted the landscape, jetting out over rolling hillsides of grass. Various herbivores grazed in the fields, far away from the main roads. The wagon was rolling past the second encampment that they had come across in the region.

"You do realize that's yak hair."

Tina scowled at him. "Are you always a Debbie Downer?" She reached up, touching the two chopsticks the kids had shoved through a bun on the top of her head. "I kind of like it." She blew at the bright green hair that fell into her eyes.

Colton laughed, turning his gaze out onto the grasslands around them. "I spent many years here. It is, how you would say, _weird_ to be back."

Tina tucked the green yak hair behind her ear. She had an inclination they had used either yak or horse hair. Regardless, it felt better than her polyester blend from Earth. The little squirts had done a decent job. Besides, it had been free.

"Honestly, Colton, this whole planet is fucking weird. But, I understand what you mean." She started fumbling with the pendant around her neck. "It is _weird_ to be here, I agree."

Colton looked back at her, a large, thick eyebrow raised. "How so, Ms. Harris?"

"I don't know. My thoughts seem to keep pulling me towards the north. It is, as though, we headed in the opposite direction."

Colton watched as the green pendant began to glow with a dim, warm light. Tina's eyes were glazed over, as she stared blankly into space. He reached out, touching the bottom of her elbow. She jumped, her eyes focusing on him.

"We will try to leave this place, as soon as we can. I do not know what awaits us ahead, but I caution you…keep your wits about you. Unlike Vicky, you are not immune from the curses of this land."

Tina blinked. "She thinks you don't love her."

He stared at her, his mouth closed. The creaking of the wagon wheels filled the silence between them. His hand fell from her elbow, and he resumed his previous posture.

"You might want to straighten that out at some point. She's a little stubborn."

His eyes turned back to the scenery around them. "I would have never guessed."

* * *

Dushan growled, irritated. They were in Desolace. The druids of Moonglade refused to speak about anything concerning the worgen and strange human, who recently entered the village, _then disappeared_. Elyarion had decided to backtrack their steps, bringing them this pathetic excuse for a forest.

The goblin merchant was trying to sell him arrows worth half the asking price.

"Look, pal…these arrows are special. They were handcrafted in Eversong Woods, by some of the finest archers to have graced the soil of Azeroth."

Dushan's tale twitched erratically. He bared his teeth at the goblin.

"Hey pal, call your cat off, okay? Sheesh. I tell you what, I'll give you a 25% discount, because I can tell you're a decent fellow."

The spell the troll shaman had cast on him was not a binding spell; the druids had assured him that it was no more than a strong, regeneration spell. They were confused by his offended attitude towards being granted such a powerful and rare gift. He had stormed out of Moonglade, more disgusted than he had been since his sister's marriage to that Highborne mage in Dalaran.

It appeared that he was cursed as soon as the dark-skinned vixen had set foot in Feralas. He had watched her, for weeks, from the shadows of the forest, content to keep his presence hidden. It wasn't until the Yeti had almost killed her did he risk exposing himself. What he did not expect was Dushan's affinity towards the female. The cat was making things _difficult_.

He shook his head, pointing a finger towards the ground. "Lower." His deep voice rolled off his tongue. The goblin took a deep breath, releasing it slowly.

"Let me see what I can do." He turned away from the stand, and moved the flap of his tent back, disappearing behind the thick cloth.

Elyarion glanced around the large outpost. The trees were still small, compared to the ancient and grand foliage of Teldrassil. The magic energy was also weaker, leaving the land susceptible to easy corruption. A hippogryph started to head towards the stables; the flight master's hands in the air, ready to snatch the straps of the saddle. A white-haired Night Elf female dismounted. She awkwardly looked around, nervously grabbing at the strap of her bag.

 _Odd._

The goblin reappeared, a few pieces of parchment in his hand. Elyarion groaned, irritated; this was taking too long.

"Look, I ran the numbers, and the _absolute_ best I can do is 35% off. I'd really like to help you more, pal, I would. Trust me. But I guarantee you won't find a better price around."

Elyarion closed his eyes. He shook his head 'no'.

"Baby, stop, go away." A familiar, strange voice sounded from behind him. He turned his head, finding Dushan rubbing against the white-haired female's legs. She was trying to push him away.

"Shoo, Baby, shoo. Bad kitty." She was trying to speak in a hushed tone.

Biznel looked up at the elf in front of him, noticing his gaze directed to the side. His large eyes narrowed, picking up on the subtle flicker of magic surrounding the tall, slender female next to the ill-mannered cat. He laughed, waving.

"Whachya doin toots? You want to lend me a hand over here, and tell my _esteemed customer_ why these arrows are worth every penny, and more?"

Vicky glanced up, seeing the strange elf from Dire Maul standing in front of Biznel's merchant table. His lip curled, as his ethereal eyes focused on her.

"Oh _shit_ …"

* * *

"Come on guys, you have to help me. _Please_ …"

She was sitting in front of the fire outside of Mingan and Biznel's tent. Baby was next to her, patiently observing their conversation. She shivered; the cat creeped her out. He apparently smelled Tina on her, or something to that extent. She didn't know, and she didn't care.

Mingan stroked his beard. "I do not know, little one. It does seem awfully foolish. However, I can understand your desire to find the Worgen; he is prone to have near-death experiences."

Biznel snorted. "Look, toots…I ain't goin' back to that place, period. Those overgrown teddy bears are as stingy as a Gnome with some design schematics."

Vicky grabbed at her nose, squeezing the bridge. She was still in her elven disguise, as she had no control over when the spell faded. Gillian would be hot on her trail, that's for sure; the woman was not stupid, by any means.

"What if I paid you? A lot?" She chided herself, internally.

Biznel leaned forward. "How much are we talkin' bout, toots?"

Her eyes scanned around the campsite. She looked at Mingan, who only shrugged in response.

"Ten thousand gold?" Vicky still did not have a good grasp on the local economy. She had also never inquired as to how much was in her bank account. It was a problem she would deal with later.

Biznel's mouth formed a wide smile, he jumped up, sticking his hand out and grabbing her elbow. She automatically grabbed his, confused.

"Deal, toots! I expect the payment to arrive, no later than, two weeks from today. Let me grab a copy of a contract…" He disappeared back in the tent. Vicky released a long breath she had been holding. She turned to Mingan.

"I have no idea if I can pay that."

The Tauren puffed on his pipe. "I know, little one." He turned to her, a warm smile on his muzzle. "Do not fret, these things have a tendency work themselves out." He stood, stretching. "I suppose it is time to pack for our journey." His eyes fell on the Night Elf watching them in the distance. He was busy adjusting the tension on his weapon. "It appears that we will be joined by another."

Vicky looked over her shoulder. "Yeah…I never mentioned him to Tina; kind of thought he might go away." She looked back at Mingan. "Guess not." She scratched her head, holding out some of the long, white hair. "Why are Night Elves obsessed with her?"

"Your friend radiates a primal energy, little one. It is one beget from nature. Those in tune with such energies are naturally attracted to sources rich with it." His turned his large head towards Vicky. "That one, however, I feel there exists something more." Dushan's tail flicked again, and the large cat sighed. "Fear not, loyal companion. You will see your mistress, soon enough." The cat stood up, stretching while exposing a large mouthful of canines.

An hour later, they were packed and ready to go. Biznel was focusing his mana, envisioning the busy inn of Halfhill, nestled in the sprawling farmlands of the Valley of Four Winds. It was too risky to port them into horde-only territory; especially with a human and Night Elf in tow.

 _Half-human. She still looked like an elf._

The portal formed, and Biznel stepped back.

"Hope you like noodles, toots."


	10. Chapter 10

Lightning cracked overhead. The gloomy, constant overcast swirled with even darker clouds; it would storm again.

Colton was bent over a revised map detailing the remnants of the Thunder King's citadel.

A sweet, partially off-key, humming sounded outside the tent. He pushed the flap aside, seeing Tina standing in an odd pose; she was on one foot, the other on the knee of the opposite leg. She had her palms pressed together, and began humming, again.

Something was in her ears, and she appeared to be unaware of her surroundings. A few of the Kirin Tor cast strange looks in her direction. She bent over, the top of her pants riding down, showing the crack of her rear. The elves' eyes widened, each whispering to the other in shock. Colton repressed a laugh.

Thunder roared overhead, and Tina jumped, almost falling flat on her face as she stumbled forward, trying to balance herself. She grabbed at the cotton-like material in her ears, throwing it down on the ground in anger.

"Jesus Christ! You can't get one fucking minute of solitude in this shithole."

"It's not called the Isle of Thunder for mere amusement, Ms. Harris."

She turned to find Colton looking at her with a dog's smile on his face. She shook her arms, grabbing at the pendant around her neck. "Yes, well, still. This is ridiculous." Thunder cracked again, and she nervously ducked a little, glancing up at the sky. "I'm going back in the tent before I piss my pants."

He laughed as Tina passed him, shaking his head. She was good company to have, in an, otherwise, dire situation. He caught some motion out of the corner of his eye, and glanced up. Teng was heading towards him, her gear unchanged from the last time he laid eyes upon the Pandaren spymaster.

"Priest. You have come." She slightly bowed towards him, then turned, motioning him to follow. "Come we, have much to discuss."

They headed down the worn trail he had walked a million times before. The ominous trees swayed against the violent winds that ripped through the large island. They diverted off the pathway, heading into knee-high waters. Up ahead was the cave underneath the waterfall where the Shado Pan had their outpost.

He wiped the water from his eyes, blinking a few times as he refocused. His eyes fell on a blue-haired man.

"Colton, it is a relief to see you, my friend." The blue dragon gave him a warm smile. "It appears that you have the constant misfortune of attracting undesirable attention."

He glanced at the table next to Kalec. On the large, scattered pieces of parchment were various symbols and notations. One, in particular, caught his eye. Kalec followed his gaze, nodding.

"It appears that gods truly cannot die. However, it is important that we neutralize the resurgent threat before us, first." He motioned towards the left. Aethas Sunweaver stepped from the shadows of the cave.

"Jaina would be, down right, furious, Kalec." Colton had a sly smile on his face, causing a few fangs to come into view.

"Yes, well, these are important matters, and they triumph over the bitterly false accusations from the past." Kalec's demeanor took on a solemn expression, as they watched Aethas walk to the table. The archmage reached out, casting a low, dim spell over the parchment. Symbols began to form in the air.

"Lady Liadrin's squadrons have been brought to their knees in Silvermoon. We suspected it was from the blood golems taken from this citadel." An image of red appeared, morphing into nameless shapes. "Some of the elves had injected themselves with the anima, in hopes of curing their lingering addictions to the Sunwell."

Colton stepped next to Kalec, putting a hand on the dragon's shoulder, giving it a sympathetic squeeze. Kalec looked at the fading image of the Sunwell. _The pain still lingered_.

"Liadrin found her blood knights strung upside down from the ceiling; their throats slit, having been bled out into pales positioned below them. Fortunately, for us, we managed to catch one of the minions."

An image of a saurok appeared. It slowly morphed into that of a blood elf, twitching at eerie intervals.

"Who's controlling them?"

"Something powerful. The illusion magic is one of the strongest I have seen." The archmage focused on Colton. "We missed something during our siege, many years ago."

"Are you sure? It could be any of the remaining mogu."

Aethas shook his head. "No, this is beyond them." He waved his hand, causing the glowing symbols to disappear. "Vicky, is she here, yet?"

Colton became irritated, letting a low growl leave his throat. "No, she is in Darnassus, where she will remain."

Aethas and Kalec looked at each other. A few moments passed. "Ah yes, of course."

Kalec turned to Colton. "Tina Harris is providing us with much needed time. Her role as a decoy was brilliant. The bulk of the enemy forces are focused on the Kirin Tor outpost, as we speak. However, we should consider relocating her soon, for her continued safety." He motioned Colton over to the table. With a wave of his hand, the parchments rolled to the side, displaying a hastily drawn map underneath. "There is a weakened crack in the wall. I suggest this as our entry point."

"What are we looking for?"

"The chamber where the anima was first created, or at least, coalesced into the Dark Animus." Kalec pointed on the map. "Here, above the labs."

Colton's hand began to shake. He moved from the table, clasping his hands together in an attempt to calm his nerves. The skin on his back started to burn, as the terrifying memories sprang forth in his mind.

Aethas and Kalec were both focused on the map. Kalec continued speaking. "You and Vicky are the only ones who can access the labs. The rest are dead. I am truly sorry, Colton…"

An hour later, Colton was leaving to return to the Kirin Tor outpost. Aethas stood by Kalec, behind the waterfall, watching the Worgen disappear into the distance.

"Why didn't you tell him?"

Kalec shook his head. "He has enough on his mind. However, she is still disguised, and our enemies are none the wiser."

Aethas turned to Kalec, raising an eyebrow. "As what?"

"She had a mage cast an illusion spell on her before she left. I have taken the liberty of assuring its continued duration." He glanced at Aethas, a mischievous grin on his face. "Ishnu-alah."

Aethas burst into laughter, as he motioned his hand in a semi-circle, causing an opening of the waterfall to form. He stepped through.

* * *

Day three: she pulled at the long white hair attached to her scalp.

"This isn't right." Even her voice was different, something which had only happened once she had gone through Biznel's portal. Her ethereal eyes narrowed in on the goblin in the corner. He was counting the ten thousand gold she had requested from the bank.

Apparently, Colton wasn't lying when he said he was far from broke.

"Biznel, something's wrong. Martyn said it would only last until sunset… _of the first day_. It's been over three days. Why am I still an elf?" She put her hand on her throat. "Why did my voice change?"

Biznel stopped counting, moving some coins to another pile, and writing the number on a piece of parchment. He glanced up at Vicky, squinting his eyes. His shoulders shrugged.

"I don't know, toots. You still have the illusion magic surrounding you. Sometimes that stuff can take a while to wear off. My nephew, accidentally, changed my niece into a monkey once. That lasted for three weeks."

He turned back to his stacks of gold. "We still have to make sure she wipes with cloth after she uses the bathroom."

"Ehhhh…" Vicky made a whining noise. She glanced at a mirror in the room at the inn of Halfhill; a stranger with white eyes stared back. She let her head fall on the solid surface.

"Don't break that, toots. I don't want any bad luck."

She groaned, irritated, walking towards the door. "I'm going to go find Mingan." Vicky had been waiting for her spell to subside, but it appeared that that was not going to happen anytime soon. Regardless, it was imperative she start her search for Colton.

She found Mignon next to the large bonfire below the inn. He was smoking his pipe, chatting with one of the panda-bear villagers. Off to the side, under a tree, was Tina's stalker.

"Ah, it is good to see you, little one. Come, take a seat at the fire."

Vicky sat down, nervously twirling the ends of her ridiculously long hair. "Biznel said I'm stuck like this for a while. I think I need to start looking for Colton, though. Do you know the best way to get to him?"

Mingan stroked his goatee. He had begun to grow it again, since they set up shop in Desolace. "The only entrance would be through the portals in Townlong Steppes, I am afraid."

A large, panda man began to speak. "Hmm, you may have better luck getting a flight in Krasarang Wilds. Your Sentinels still have an outpost set up, and the last I heard, they have trained animals that fly to the Steppes." He scratched his belly, reaching next to him to sift through a crate full of random items. A satchel appeared, and he leaned forward, placing his fingers into the pouch, reappearing with some herbs pinched in between. He sprinkled them over a pot near the fire. "Our last bird that was trained to fly there was shot down by the lingering mogu of the Vale, two months ago."

Vicky looked at Mingan. "Sentinels?"

Jin Joa looked at the elf with a raised eyebrow. "Tyrande's personal guard. I would expect all of the Night Elves to be familiar with them."

Vicky nervously twisted the hair around her finger. "Why, yes, of course. I'm sorry, I had a brain fart."

Jin Joa looked at Mingan, giving him a confused expression. The Tauren slowly shook his head.

Vicky dropped her hair, placing her long, slender hands on her thin knees. She was still trying to get used to having the body of a fashion model. "What is the quickest way to Krasarang?"

The Pandaren scratched his head. "There are a series of ropes attached on the cliff that overlooks the wilds, to the south of this town. We use them to scale the ridge, so we can access the rare fruits from that area. That would be your best bet." He gave the elf a glance over. "You should be fine; your kind are trained from birth to combat the beasts of the forests."

Vicky grimaced, looking back to Mingan with a panicked expression. He began to chuckle.

"Little one, I believe there are some items I can part with, which will help you on your journey." The Tauren focused on the Night Elf against the tree. "Yes. You should be fine."

Eventually, Vicky found herself walking through the overgrown fields of the strange farm land. Mingan had given her a pack with some jerky, mixed with a couple of items that she had no clue as to what they were, nor their function. Tied to the side of her right thigh was a hunting knife, the size of something from Commando. Tina's gun was in a satchel she had left back in Darnassus, stuck underneath some floor boards below the guest bed.

"I am so fucking dead."

Steps neared her, and she turned, stopping.

"Ely?"

"Elyarion."

Vicky felt something familiar brushing against her leg. "Oh hi, Baby."

Elyarion walked near her. "Dushan. His name is Dushan, _human_."

Vicky's nose wrinkled. "Oh, great, another racist prick." She turned, taking long strides forward. "You might want to take a hike, buddy. Tina's not going to put up with that shit."

He sneered, exposing his upper fang. "I am not racist. However, I do believe that the races would be better off keeping to themselves."

Vicky gave a long whistle. "Holyfuck, boy. Yeah…you keep telling yourself that." She glanced down at the cat. "Dushan, how do you put up with that guy?"

The cat stopped, giving her a blank expression. He slowly yawned, lowering his head. Vicky burst into laughter.

"Dushan, come! We're leaving."

His pet glanced back at him, blinking a few times. The cat stood up, following the female.

"Dushan!" Elyarion's anger was beginning to boil over as his pet continued to ignore him. He grunted in disgust, and quickened his strides, catching up to the duo.

"Looks like you're fucked, kid."

He scowled. "I am no child. I have been alive for well over three centuries."

Vicky snorted. "You act like a ten-year-old brat. I'm still debating if I should spank you or not."

The ridge came into view. She squinted her eyes, making out the tops of the stakes holding the ropes in place.

"Man, I'm pretty sure my eyesight hasn't been this good since I was a teenager."

The elf next to her grunted.

A few minutes later, they found themselves at the edge of the ridge. Vicky slowly peaked over the side, immediately taking a few steps back. Her breathing became rapid, and she stuck her fingers in her mouth. Elyarion was kneeling on the ground, securing Dushan to him. He glanced up.

"What are you trembling for?"

"Ely…I don't…no….no, no, no…" She started pacing in a circle. She bit hard, yelping and waving her hand in the air. "I'm scared of heights."

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "Then I guess you'll be staying up here." He stepped to the edge, latching to the rope. He swung his foot over, allowing the full weight of his pet to stabilize, before he took his first step down.

"If you leave me, Tina will never forgive you."

Elyarion stopped, locking eyes with the elvish impostor in front of him. She had her arms around herself; absolute fear etched on her face.

"I don't care." He continued downwards.

A few hours had gone by, and the sun was beginning to set. Vicky was curled up in a ball, about ten feet from the edge of the cliff. She kept trying to convince herself to overcome her worst fear. An image of Colton would push itself to the forefront of her mind, and she would inch her way to the edge, only to scramble back again.

She laid on the ground, shaking as tears streamed down her face. Her eyes slowly closed; she was exhausted.

Something moved nearby. Her eyes opened and she saw hands coming over the edge of the cliff. A head of green hair appeared, followed by a set of familiar leather armor.

"Ely?" She groggily pushed herself up.

He tossed some rope at her. Glancing over the ridge, he made out the top of Dushan, who was making nervous circles around the end of the rope.

He turned, seeing Vicky holding the rope in her hands in confusion.

"What's the matter?" His voice was gruff and impatient.

She looked at him with a pathetic expression. "I've never climbed anything before."

He sighed, moving in front of her and snatching the rope out of her hands. He knelt on the ground.

"Get on."

Minutes later he found himself scaling down the ridge a second time, but this time he kept having the air to his lungs cut off. The human girl was trembling; her legs and arms wrapped tightly around him. He made a few gasping noises.

"Sorry!" She moved her arm off his neck and painfully latched it across his chest.

He finally felt the solid surface of ground on his foot, and let go of the rope. The human female on his back let go, falling on her rear with a loud thud. His pet immediately nuzzled next to the impostor. She clung onto Dushan's neck.

"I promise, when I get back home, I'm adopting a cat."

* * *

Tina woke up. She squinted her eyes, trying to focus on her surroundings. She was in a warm bed. The sound of birds echoed in the distance. She smiled, humming to herself in contentment.

 _Birds?_

Her eyes shot open, and she quickly sat up, smacking her head on a low hanging lamp. She hissed, putting her hand on her forehead.

Stumbling out the tent, she glanced around. Large trees surrounded her. Her eyes scanned the area. Behind her was a large, mountain-like ridge; in front of her were a bunch of elves.

"Lady Harris, how do you feel?" A green-haired elven male walked to her, gently touching her arm.

"Where am I? What happened?" She blinked. "How do you know my name?"

Christofen looked over the strange human girl. Her pupils were still slightly dilated. "You are in Krasarang Wilds, Lady Harris. You arrived strapped to a hippogryph, sedated." He gently placed his arm around her shoulder, directing her towards a seat in front of the fire. "Fortunately, a note was, also, strapped to you."

Tina blinked a few times, staring blankly at the fire as a cup of something warm was placed in her hands.

 _Wait a minute_.

"That bastard drugged me!" She spilled her drink, while attempting to stand up. She felt hands placed on her shoulders, pushing her back into her seat.

"Lady Harris. You are not well enough to walk, quite yet." A new cup was placed in her hands. "Please, drink this."

Tina fumed, hastily taking a large gulp of the contents in the cup. She choked, banging on her chest a few times.

"Oh my god, that's awful."

Christofen's eyes narrowed on her. "That was my mother's recipe."

Tina blinked. "Awfully good." She took another gulp, forcing it down her throat. "Tastes great."

He chuckled, throwing some branches on the fire. "It is quite alright, Lady Harris. It was not designed to appease the senses; it was designed to speed up recovery."

Tina looked at her hands, noticing a glowing sheen cover her skin. "Wow."

A noise emanated from a distance in front of her. Tina looked up, seeing two elves approaching the small campsite in the distance. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes; a familiar silhouette appeared.

"Baby!"

The cat bolted straight for her, pouncing with enough strength to knock her off her chair. Her face was immediately assaulted by a tongue; long whiskers tickling her cheeks.

"Holyshit, Baby, you're heavy as hell."

She shoved the cat off, chuckling. He laid down, wiggling closer to her. She began to run her fingers through the fur around his neck. "Missed me, boy?" She lowered her head, placing it against the cat's forehead. "I missed you too."

"Oh my god, Tina! Are you okay? Where's Colton?"

Tina looked up at the white-haired elf. "I'm fine…" She raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

She watched as the elf glanced down, placing her hands over her chest and abdomen. "Oh, yeah…I forgot. It's me, Vicky."

Tina continued to stare. Vicky rolled her eyes. "Look, it's a long story, but I'm, sort of, stuck like this."

Tina leaned over, pinching the elf's calf. The elf smacked her hand away.

"Owe! What the fuck is wrong with you? That hurt."

"Okay, that sounds like something only Vicky would say. I'm sold."

Vicky sneered at her friend.

"Dushan." Tina turned her head to the left, noticing another green-haired elf walking past her. He motioned at Baby. The cat slowly pulled himself to his feet, and began to follow the elf. She watched as the stranger opened a satchel, dropping a wooden plate on the ground; some meat was thrown on top. Baby began to chow down.

"Yeah, so, there was something I neglected to tell you before."

Tina turned her head back, towards Vicky, who was nervously chewing on the long, slender fingers of her new form. "Oh, please… _go on_."

"Baby has an owner."

Tina gave her an incredulous look. "You don't say."

"And…I, kind of, knew this."

Tina kept looking at Vicky with an unenthusiastic expression. Vicky bit hard, immediately hissing and waving her hand in the air.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I thought he would go away."

Tina motioned a hand towards the duo at the other side of the camp. "Obviously not." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head and pulling herself to her feet. "What's he doing here, anyways?"

Vicky glanced in the direction Tina was looking. "I guess Dushan's attached to you."

"Dushan?" Tina stuck a lip out. "Baby sounds a lot better."

"I agree. It also makes me want to start singing the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Anyways, that weirdo..." Vicky pointed at Elyarion. "Jesus."

The elf male kept his back to the two women. He was stroking Dushan's back.

"He seems to be alright. He treats _my_ cat well."

Vicky scrunched her nose, turning to look at Tina. "Right…" She touched Tina's arm, her expression becoming serious. "Where's Colton."

Tina glanced up, still trying to get used to her friend's new height. "On some fucking island where it doesn't stop storming. The bastard drugged me, then strapped me to a goddamn Island of Doctor Moreau bird. I just woke up, not more than fifteen minutes ago."

Vicky bit the inside of her cheek, trying to keep her face straight. "Did you have a nice flight?"

Tina glared at Vicky. "Fuck you." She turned around, heading towards the elf and cat. Vicky started laughing, and glanced over to the flight master, walking in his direction.

Tina slowly crept up behind the elf. Dushan was feverishly inhaling his food. Another piece of meat appeared from the satchel, and was thrown on the wooden plate. The cat purred, content.

"I know you're there, human."

Tina's face scrunched up with a look of disgust. "Excuse me?" She heard the rustle of wings and metal clasps clicking together. She turned, seeing Vicky mounted on one of the freakish birds. Her white, glowing eyes glanced to Tina.

"Heeeeeeey-hey, baby…I wanna know-oh-oh…if you'll be my girl." She waved, laughing, as the bird took off. Within moments, she was nothing but a dot in the sky.

* * *

Tina's eyes focused on the giant water bug floating towards her. She was crouched under some brush, her spear in her hands. Since she had been dumped, by herself, in the middle of a rain forest, she figured it would be an appropriate time to learn how to fight. She felt something furry brush up against her leg.

 _Well, she's not, exactly, by herself_.

She smiled, reaching down to give Dushan some much desired scratches behind his ears. The bug glided by, unaware of its narrow escape with death. She felt the pendant around her neck become slightly warmer.

"You are far too noisy, human. You will never gain the upper hand on your prey."

Tina glanced up, squinting her eyes. A vague outline of a large elf was propped up on top of a heavy branch, squatting. He suddenly fell, a good ten or so feet down, landing on both his feet with ease. Slowly, he stood to full height.

 _Splooge_.

Tina shook her head, and turned away, grasping her spear. _Just ignore him_.

She kept a low stance, quietly moving about the ground with fluid motions. Her boots were knee-high lace ups, that provided much needed flexibility. The soles were soft, which also helped to reduce the noise of her footsteps. She grinned, seeing a small rabbit ahead.

 _Peter Rabbit's day is about ready to go to shit._

Tina moved with stealth behind the unaware rabbit. She circled around the back, gradually inching towards it while raising her spear higher. When she was no more than a few feet away, she dashed forward. The rabbit jumped, and she missed, falling face first in the ground with a thud. Laughter rose from behind.

"You are, surprisingly, entertaining to watch."

Tina squeezed her eye together, releasing a sigh. "It's either that, or you've enjoyed staring at my ass the entire time I was in Feralas."

Elyarion's eyebrows furrowed together. "Staring at what?"

Tina pushed herself on her knees, and pointed at her butt. "Ass. _My ass_ , specifically. You've been stalking me, you creep." She glanced at Dushan, busily licking his paws. "Dushan." The cat looked up at her, and she pointed to Elyarion. "Bad elf. Bite." Dushan stared at her for a few moments, then went back to licking his paw. Tina scoffed. "Traitor."

Elyarion walked closer to her. "How would that be traitorous? He is _my pet_ , afterall. Besides, I was not stalking, not by choice, at least. Dushan has grown attached to you. As to why, I still can't figure it out, but he is a stubborn cat."

Tina pushed herself to her feet, using her spear as a stable point. "Look, Captain Dickweed, as much as I enjoy your company…why you are here?" She pointed to Dushan. "You got your cat. He's content that I'm not dead." She made a dismissive motion with her hands. "Leave."

Elyarion stepped forward, reaching out to touch the pendant around her neck. The green gem began to glow with a bright vibrancy. "You are human, this much I know." His ethereal eyes became distant, as he continued to stare at the pendant. "Yet, you seem to be…so much more."

Tina grimaced, slowly taking the pendant out of his hand and stepping back. " _Yeah_ …" He watched her, his hand still held out in the same position. "I'm going to go…away…now." She pointed to the ground. "Stay."

Tina gripped her spear. They stared at each other for a few moments, before she turned, heading in the opposite direction. A few minutes went by, and she sighed in relief; he didn't follow.

Streams danced along the path she was on, causing her to trudge through shallow waters every now and again. The sun was beginning to set, and the darkness of the woods was beginning to intensify. Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her. In a panic, she began to sprint, over the uneven terrain, even hurdling a few fallen logs.

 _I haven't been this fit since high school track._

Fear began to grip her, as the footsteps became closer. Her mind reeled back to the time she almost lost her life in Feralas, to the giant yeti. Sweat began to pour down her temples; she pushed harder.

Her face collided with something soft, yet still hard underneath. She ricocheted off, falling on her rear on the damp forest floor. While the daylight was quickly dying, she was still able to make out the figure in front of her. Her mouth fell open.

A huge, walking lizard was in front of her. Its mouth opened, displaying an impressive amount of razor sharp teeth. A long, glistening tongue fell out of its mouth, wiggling, then receding. Its reptilian eyes narrowed on her, as it let out a horrifying squeal, quickly dashing forward. All Tina could do was hold her hands up over her face.

Something flew past her head, embedding itself in the lizard-man's skull. Its face contorted, before falling backwards; its fast-dying nervous system causing the body to twitch. Two more appeared behind the dead one, and she saw Elyarion sprint past her from the right. He dodged a swipe, spinning around to catch the first lizard-man with the bottom of his wicked-looking bow, jamming the end through its throat. The second one leaped at him, and he ducked, reaching for a large knife at his side. He grabbed the lizard-man by the shoulders from behind and rammed his knife through. The thing screamed, as Elyarion dragged the blade through its body, ultimately splitting it into to. Its organs and bowels pooled beneath it, and he let the corpse drop, wiping his knife off on a portion of its upper torso.

"Dushan! Beldu-alah." Dushan quickly stopped, turning back around towards his master. His pet had killed a few of the saurok, causing a handful of others to flee in panic. He looked at the frozen female on the ground. Walking to her, he crouched in front, reaching his hand out to gently cup the bottom of her chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"This is not the first time I have prevented your death, Dalah'delar." A faint smile formed on his lips, before his usual frown returned. He stood, walking over to pick up her spear. "We should head back to camp for the night." He tossed it at her. She blinked, looking down at where it fell near her feet.

He glanced at her, motioning his hand. "Come."


	11. Chapter 11

Thunder cracked overhead. Vicky instinctively ducked, tucking herself against the rocky wall. "Holyshit, I think I crapped myself."

Kalec chuckled. "I must say, I would have never imagined a Night Elf speaking that way."

She scowled at the blue-haired mage. "Very funny." They moved along, slipping in between a tight crack on the cliff side.

"When was the last time that you heard from him." Vicky gripped the back of Kalec's shirt, grasping around the backside of a chest strap. Even with her elvish form, she couldn't see anything except black.

"We lost contact two days ago. The handful of Sunweaver guards escorting him had been shredded beyond recognition."

Vicky's hand tightened on the strap. Kalec felt it pull against him. "Do not worry, my friend. I may not be the Life-binder, but I can still sense his presence in the magical network of this world."

He frowned. Colton's life-force was slowly draining. His magic was nearly gone. They were bleeding him, but his curse was prolonging his death. He reached behind, grasping Vicky's elbow and giving it a friendly squeeze. "We're going to find him."

The diversion presented with Tina's presence had caused the enemy to attack the Kirin Tor outpost. This had left the Sunweavers free to assist with infiltrating the not-so-abandoned citadel. It appears that the only remaining hostiles left were re-birthed sauroks, injected with anima. When Colton had taken a small squadron inside, the only communication they had received was a finger of a guard, carried back to the Sunweavers outpost by their pet bird.

The dank smell of decomposing bodies hit their senses. Vicky felt her boot slide through something wet; the sound of sickly squishing bounced off the walls in the tiny corridor. The powerful odor made her stomach lurch. She gripped Kalec with both hands, trying to will herself to keep following.

Eventually, the small crack widened, and stale air replaced the smell of dead corpses. Kalec held his hand out, releasing a small ball of light. It began to orbit the duo.

Vicky blinked a few times, as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light source. She gasped; it was a grandiose hall, reaching dizzying heights to the ceiling. The damp walls glistened, and ornate carvings were littered over the stonework.

"Remnants of the Titans, my creators, and perhaps yours as well." Kalec's whispered voice echoed in the large chamber.

"Gods?" Vicky cringed, still surprised by the sound of her elvish voice.

"In a way. It is a debate held from those who were cursed with flesh, and now even by the original inhabitants. This planet…it is alive."

Vicky's long eyebrows furrowed. "Planets are nothing but various compositions of elements. Whether it can support life or not is dependent on its placement near its orbiting star, as well as other outside forces…like a larger planet's gravity."

Kalec stopped, turning to look at her with an inquisitive expression. "This planet is a Titan."

Vicky shrugged. "If your religious beliefs say so, then it is whatever you want it to be."

"That is not religion, Vicky. This planet is the living flesh of a greater being."

She frowned, shaking her head. "That's impossible." She walked past him, glancing at the decorative, golden torch stands mounted on the walls. "Or are you speaking in terms of 'seeding' a planet, by using existing biochemical compounds from an already living host?" The movie Prometheus immediately popped in her mind. She grimaced, shaking her head, trying to rid herself of the thought.

 _The last thing I need to deal with is a face hugger_.

Kalec stared at her for a few moments, easily reading her thoughts. His eyebrows furrowed, and he reached forward, touching Vicky's arm. She jumped, looking at him with widened eyes.

"No, Mrs. Atherton, nothing _like that_." He motioned her to follow him. "And I hope to never bear witness to what I had just observed in your mind."

They continued further into the large chamber, taking a few side paths, which led up countless stairs. In her human form, her heart would have exploded half-way through the climb. However, she barely found herself having to take any additional breaths. They, eventually, stepped into a corridor with a large channel running through the middle, trickling water mixed with decayed rot of plants, animals, and who knows. Through a rusted grating, so saw a large, open expanse, with light streaming in from above. She squinted her eyes; feathers.

"This was once the feeding grounds of a monstrous bird. A team of heroes laid siege to this citadel, many years ago. The beast fell to their might."

Vicky watched as a red sludge floated past. "Was Colton part of that group?"

Kalec shook his head, scanning the area ahead of them for any hostiles. "No. He was sent as part of a smaller group, aimed at gaining intel." He turned to her, his blue eyes portraying a saddened expression. "He was captured."

She looked at Kalec, her mouth falling open. A wetness began to form around her white eyes. "He never told me…why?"

Kalec reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Some memories are best left in the past, my friend." He turned from her, walking along the channel. "The curse kept him alive, while he suffered through their 'experiments'. For months, he endured unspeakable torture, the whips of his new masters always causing more of his blood to pour out. Along his back, the mogu etched painful runes, embedded with the anima."

He jumped across the channel, and reached towards Vicky, holding his hands out to help her. She grabbed his hands, and he easily pulled her over the stagnant pool of excrement. "Zulrajas found him." They continued on wards, up more flights of stairs. "He tried to move on, but the demons of his past lingered. His resignation was not a surprise."

A sniffle caused Kalec to glance over his shoulder, catching Vicky wiping tears out of her eyes. She unceremoniously dragged the back of her hand across her nose. He chuckled. "Then you fell into our world, my friend. I had not seen Colton this happy since he first stumbled into the top of Wyrmrest Temple."

"Worm rest?"

"An ancient city. The ruins serve as a meeting place for the leaders of the various dragon flights. Or, _it did_."

"Why were you there?"

Kalec picked up on the faint sound of something. Stopping, he stuck his arm out, signaling Vicky to stop. They stood still for a few minutes, before he motioned for them to continue. "At the time, I was the representative for the blue dragon flight."

Vicky scratched her head. "Because you're a mage?"

He chuckled, again. "You could say that."

They finally arrived at the top platform of a long set of spiraling stairs. Before them laid a great, golden door. Kalec walked before it, squinting to pick up for signs of any entry. In the middle was a small, circular recess…large enough for a human hand. Small tributaries branched outwards, enlarging towards the borders of the door. He strained his ears.

 _Faint breathing_.

"Vicky." He turned to her, reaching out to gently place his hands on both her shoulders. She focused on him, her eyes widened with confusion and fear. "Inside you, you carry a small portion of something. It is the only thing that will allow us through this door. Colton is on the other side." He squeezed her shoulders. "Listen to me. When we go through this, your primary objective is to get Colton out of here. There is something else here. Something _ancient_ …it is far too powerful for us."

Vicky's eyebrows furrowed, as her eyes widened. "Then how do we escape?"

"I will lure it away. Simply backtrack our steps, and you will leave this place safely." He let go of her shoulders, and gently grabbed her hand. She watched as he produced a small dagger with his other, aiming it near her palm. He glanced up at her.

"Tell me when you're ready. Once this door opens, there will be no time to pause." He handed her the dagger, and stepped back. Vicky stared at the dagger and her palm, slowly walking forwards. She stopped, glancing up.

The large, golden door stood before her.

Moments passed, and she closed her eyes, calming her nerves and bolstering her resolve. The dagger was quickly dragged across her palm. With blood trickling down her finger tips, she placed her hand inside the circular recess. Suddenly, a bright, red glow began to spread through the cracks, generating a low hum of electrical energy. The door slowly creaked open.

They quickly stepped in; Kalic readying another light spell. It faded, as the sickening red glow illuminated the grandiose chamber. Around them were large, glass cylinders full of a reddish liquid, violently swirling. The middle of the floor had a large, metal inlay. Vicky's eyes followed a small stream of red back, until it hit the wall. She gasped, sprinting forward. It was Colton, chained to the wall in human form and stripped of all clothing. Deep symbols had been cut into his skin. Blood was streaming down his legs.

Kalec ran after her, launching a spell that shattered Colton's restraints. Vicky caught him, cradling his torso as she let her knees crash on the floor. Her hands shook as they ran over his hands. Gashes and cuts littered his face. He weakly reached up, grasping her wrist.

"Kill…me…"

Something growled from the depths below. Kalec touched Vicky's arm. "Move! Get out!" Vicky pulled Colton's arm over her shoulder and began to drag him across the floor towards the exit. A small trail of blood followed behind.

" ** _I have waited in darkness…in silence…_** _"_

They passed through the golden doors, and Vicky spared one glance over her shoulders. Kalec's form was shrouded in a misty gray fog. The metallic floor was slowly opening; a sickly bright light shining from underneath. Out of the fog, she saw a giant blue dragon step forth. It roared, as the golden doors slammed shut. The ground shook, and she tripped, skidding down the stairs with Colton in tow. Her knees were bloodied, but she continued to pull him along, sloshing through the dirty, stale water of the channel.

The stairs were occasionally missed, as Vicky stumbled in a mad panic. Colton's breathing was weak and raspy. Tears were freely pouring down her face. Through the cracks in the crumbling walls to her right, she saw brief images of a great blue dragon soaring in the giant chamber that house the dead bird. A frustrated yell erupted from above them, followed by the sound of something heavy slamming into the stone.

The ceiling began to collapse, and Vicky cried out, intermixing her sobs with desperate gasps for breath. They reached the first chamber her and Kalec walked into. The light from outside poured in through the crack, and she saw the mangled, dead bodies of Blood Elves scattered on the floor. Chunks of stone fell, smashing onto the ornate floor tiles, sending small slivers of particles flying. She felt stone embed itself in her cheek.

The cold, gray light of the outside surrounded them, and she pulled Colton with her along the edge of the ridge, before stopping at a flattened area of rock, at the edge of the shoreline. Carefully, she laid Colton out, looking over his mutilated body. She held her hands over a large wound over his chest; it wouldn't stop bleeding.

Colton's head fell to the side, his eyes partially opened. He looked at her with dilated pupils and a blank stare. His breathing was erratic, and she felt his body tremble.

"Please…tell my wife…that I love her."

He released a heavy breath, and her hands no longer felt the rise of his chest. Vicky panicked, pressing down on his chest in a series of downward thrusts. She felt his ribs crack. Her mind started to play the song "Stayin Alive", as she timed each of her pushes. After a few minutes, she collapsed to the side, exhausted. Putting her fingers on his neck, she felt nothing.

Vicky began to shake; her eyes wide in absolute shock. He was dead. She couldn't heal him. _He was dead_.

She began to sob, laying across his chest. A loud boom of thunder roared over her cries, as large rain drops fell over her. She shifted, immediately feeling something hard and round underneath.

 _The orb._

" _This orb is meant to grant magic to its wielder when desperation arises…and hope begin to die…_ "

Vicky slowly pulled the orb out of her satchel. The strange orb glowed with a deep purple mist, swirling in a slow and steady spiral along the surface. Without a second though, she smashed the orb on the ground. The purple mist leaked out, surrounding her and Colton. Gradually, it began to seep into his skin. She grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and placing it on top of his chest.

"Heal..." Tears ran down her cheeks. She leaned over, lightly kissing his cold lips.

A soft light began to emanate from their intertwined hands, and she felt the mist began to seep through her own skin. Pain immediately followed, and her body went rigid. _It was draining her_.

She trembled, her eyes wide as she looked down at her husband.

He breathed.

* * *

"I'm floating down a river…"

Tina leaned forward, then back, pushing against the water with the oars. They were in the southern rise of the Vale of Eternal Spring.

 _Or fall. Summer?_

Across from her was Vicky, still sporting her elvish disguise.

"Oars freed from their holes, long ago…" She glanced at Vicky. "I'm kidding."

It was a neutral zone, that had been stabilized from a previous onslaught of mogu.

"Further down the river…further down the river-ahhh-yahhh…"

Vicky pinched her nose bridge. "For the love of God, Tina…"

Tina burst out laughing, leaning forward to push them along the peaceful stream.

"How am I supposed to woo a beautiful elf, then?"

Vicky narrowed her eyes on Tina. "With a big dick."

They both roared with laughter, catching the attention of some nearby Pandarens, tending to the fruit trees.

"So how's it going with Captain Xenophobe?"

Tina shrugged, leaning back, causing the boat to pick up some lost momentum. "Oh, you know...we're coming along just _swimmingly_." She frowned. "The first day you abandoned me with him…" Tina shot Vicky a dirty look. "I watched him disembowel some walking lizard, then stroll along like it was another day in the park."

Vicky glanced to the left, seeing Ely leaning up against a tree. He was messing with the tension on his bow.

"I don't get it; why is he still here?"

Tina shrugged. "No clue. The sooner he accepts that Dushan is _my cat_ , the sooner he can go back to living by himself, jerking off on some bushes."

Dushan lifted his lazy head off Vicky's lap, twitching an ear at Tina. She ran her long fingers through his thick fur.

"Agreed. I adore this furry shithead, and I don't even _like_ cats."

He glanced up at Vicky, then pushed his head on her palm, tilting it so she scratched at the desired spot.

"Any idea when Colton's going to wake up?"

Vicky shrugged. "Kalec says it'll be a few more days." She pulled at her white hair, holding it out to look at it in detail. "I wonder how much longer this is going to last?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "Shit, I wonder if his mom's still looking for me?" Vicky felt sand brush against the bottom of the boat. Tina's focus was fixed on something behind her.

"Not any longer, _my dear_."

Vicky's eyes went wide. She froze, sitting rigid in the boat. Tina stood, carefully stepping out; she motioned for Dushan to follow. The cat yawned, lazily pulling its large body to its feet. He hopped out after his mistress.

"I admit, not many people can outwit a master warlock."

Vicky's eyebrows furrowed. _Yes, that makes sense; you would need to be pretty smart if you were a locksmith during a war_.

"I'm sorry?" She immediately grimaced afterwards; she sounded like an idiot.

Gillian glanced around the beautiful landscape. The vale was a mystical land, rich with magical energies from a bygone era. She looked back down at her daughter-in-law, still frozen in her seat.

"Come, child." She turned, slowly walking up the small hill, onto the rocky path. She heard the cautious footsteps of an elf behind her. "I am surprised the illusion spell is still active."

Vicky nervously started chewing on her fingers. "Yeah, me too. It's been over a week. Martyn said it would only last a few hours, tops."

"It is being boosted by another." Gillian spotted the familiar blue-hair of Kalec, entering a building in the distance.

"How can you tell?"

Gillian chuckled. "Oh, just merely, intuition."

They stepped into a small house. None of the Pandaren residencies had doors, which made Vicky question the extent of their private lives. A fire was lit in the left corner, with some water boiling on top. Gillian took a rag, grasping the handle of the pot and lifting it off. Vicky took a seat next to the bed on the right side. She reached out, touching Colton's shoulder.

He was still in human form. His body covered in bandages. The healers of the village were not able to remove all the scars from the runes etched into his skin. His long hair was brushed back, displaying the stitches on the side of his temple.

"My son owes you his life."

Vicky shrugged. She placed her hands in her lap and leaned back. "Eh, no big deal." She glanced up at his mother. "I think I should probably work on getting back home, though."

"Home? You mean Stormwind?"

Vicky's eyebrows furrowed. "No…"

Gillian glanced at Colton's figure. "Did you two buy a new house?"

Vicky slowly began to shake her head. She stood up, walking towards the entrance.

"Mrs. Atherton…I don't belong _here_." She made a circular motion with her hand. "He married me because of his job. It was never meant to be permanent…"

Gillian sat next to Colton. She reached out, running a warm, wet rag across his forehead.

"That is unfortunate, child." She lifted his chest bandage, noting the small burns of a soul draining spell. She watched Vicky reach up and place a hand over the same spot on her chest, wincing. "Part of you sustains him. Should you travel a great distance apart…I cannot say that he would live. At least, not until his soul has had a chance to repair itself, if it can."

She secured the bandage, and stood back up, pushing the wrinkles out of her black dress. "He lives now, thanks to you, but do not feel as though you are obligated to stay. Souls are nothing more than business transactions to this family, my dear, and death is an unavoidable fate we all must face. However, I do implore of you Victoria…do not make a hasty decision. Sometimes, things happen for a reason."

She reached out, grabbing Vicky's hand, giving it a squeeze, as she walked out the room.

* * *

"Wow, so… _wow_."

Vicky was sitting at the table with her head in her hands. Tina was on the opposite side, taking sips out of a local bottle of wine.

"So, like, are you going to replenish part of your own 'life essence' or whatever? Or are you screwed?"

Vicky didn't make any movement or sound. She was struggling to come to terms with what she had just been told.

Colton's mother was, actually, a powerful mage…of sorts. Her specialty was controlling demons. However, part of her skill sets also included _stealing souls_ , and as such, she could recognize the side effects of spells associated with the practice. Namely, the burns on her and Colton's chests.

The globe Vicky shattered had a unique spell in it, not common among the warlock community. It transfered the soul of one, to another, stopping only when both individuals were sustained. It would keep them linked for an unspecified amount of time; sometimes indefinitely.

 _"I have always had my suspicions with the Kal'dorei. For them to gift you with such a dark spell…tsk, tsk."_

Dushan nudged Vicky's leg.

"Yes, I already have 'replenished' whatever was given. However, I bound him to me. My soul keeps him alive, constantly filling in the voids."

She looked up at Tina, her glowing ethereal eyes misting over. "If I got back home…there's a good chance he'll die."

"Jesus…I'm…I'm so sorry."

Tina reached across the table, grabbing the outside of Vicky's hand and giving it a squeeze. She noticed movement in the distance, and looked up; Colton was in the doorway, leaning on a cane. He saw her and waved.

"Ms. Harris! It is good to see you." He slowly made his way over, noticing the morbid expression on Tina's face. "Ms. Harris, I apologize for what had happened. We were concerned for your safety."

Tina glanced up, offering a weak smile. "Oh, right, yeah…that's fine." She squeezed Vicky's hand again and leaned back in her seat. Colton turned to Vicky.

"I believe we haven't met. My name is Colton Atherton." He bowed his head towards her. "And you are?" He raised an eyebrow, a partial smile on his face.

Vicky let her head drop on the table. Colton looked at Tina, panicking. He put an arm around the Night Elf, shaking her gently. She sighed.

"What happened? Is she alright?"

Tina took a swig of her drink. "She's having a mental breakdown. Waiter! _More booze._ "

A few awkward minutes passed, while the waiter seemed content to ignore her empty drink crisis. Colton asked Tina a slew of questions, ranging from her current state, to that of cat and its mysterious owner. He balanced a cup on between his hands, tilting his head to the side. His eyes had a far away look on them.

"Have you heard from Vicky?"

Colton had sat himself in the chair next to Tina. She gave him a peculiar look, while glancing at the bottom of her glass. _Do they not get paid based on tips here?_

"Yeah."

"How is she?"

Tina shrugged. "She's not doing so swell."

He became rigid, grabbing the edge of the table. "And my mother _left her_?!"

Tina glanced at Vicky. "Not exactly."

"Colton and Ms. Harris! What a pleasure." Kalec walked up to the table; a radiant smile plastered on his face. He turned to the white-haired elf, who was still face down on the table.

"Oh, I guess we don't need that anymore." He reached over Vicky's head; a warm glow emanating from his hand. A hazy mist formed around the table, and Colton glanced over; hazel orbs stared back.

"I snuck out."

* * *

"What the fuck were you thinking?!"

 _Guess I'm rubbing off on him._

Some Pandarens walked by, cautiously glancing inside the open-door room. Vicky shook her head, making a motion with her hands that everything was fine. She nervously grabbed at her arms.

"I don't know."

He tossed his cane to the side, and limped over to the edge of the bed. He was exhausted; even the small trip to the inn and back took a lot of energy.

"Obviously. Honestly, Vicky, you are too thick-headed for your own good."

Her eyes widened, and she snapped her head towards him. "I fucking _dragged_ your dead ass out of that place. At least you could be somewhat grateful."

His eyes met hers. "What?"

She stuck her fingers in her mouth, chewing on the skin. She nervously turned her back from him. He stood up, reaching over to gently grab her shoulders.

"Vicky… _tell me_. What happened?"

Pain flared and she waved her hand in the air. "Nothing."

" _Vicky…_ " He slowly turned her to face him. Her eyes were panicked; she eyed the door, readying herself to bolt at any second.

"Kalec and I…we went to get you." She held up her palm. "I have it, in me, too. It's the only way to get inside…"

Colton saw the faint scar of a cut.

"You were there, chained. We cut you down." Vicky began to tremble. "I dragged you out all the way down, through those huge corridors. Something…something awful is still there. _Down there…_ "

A tear fell down her cheek. He reached up, using his thumb to wipe the tear away.

"You died." Her lips quivered, and she shut her mouth, dropping her head.

He dipped his head a little lower, a small smile on his lips. "And?" His voice was gentle, like speaking to a child.

Her head snapped up. She began to wipe her tears away with her hands. "Now you're not." She jerked to leave, and he tightened his grip on her shoulder, keeping her in place.

"What happened."

She stared at him, panic coming off her in waves. "I…I filled in the gaps."

He blinked, his expression going black. Vicky nervously twitched, she eyed the door again.

"I'm going to go-"

"Stay with me."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not leaving the area… _I can't_." She frowned, biting on the side of her bottom lip. "Actually, I need to tell you something. It's serious." He nodded for her to continue.

"I can't be far from you. I don't know what 'far' translates to, but I'm pretty sure world jumping is out of the question. If that happens, you die."

"Who told you that?"

She blinked. "Your mother. My soul sustains yours. You were fubar."

"Fubar?"

"Fucked up beyond all repair." A frown crossed her face again. "I'm sorry, Colton. You're sort of stuck with me. I wish there was another way, I do. I know it's not-"

He crashed his lips on hers. His arms latched around her back, pulling her closer.

A whistle sounded from behind her. She broke their kiss off, releasing an irritated sigh, as she turned to find Tina leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Well, well…looks like someone's feeling better." Tina wiggled her eyebrows, suggestively. "Too bad there are no doors in this commune. I guess this could be considered a cheap form of birth control."

Colton rolled his eyes, turning around to find a seat on the bed. "Privacy is something a person finds a limited supply of when you are around, Ms. Harris."

Tina laughed, clasping her hands together. "As much as I enjoy breaking up your _liaisons_ , the blue-haired magician has asked that we prepare ourselves to exit the the Island of Doctor Moreau."

Vicky's eyebrows furrowed. "Is that the only book you've ever read? You reference it a lot."

Tina held up her hand, raising two fingers. "I've referenced it _twice_ , and with both times it was entirely applicable."

"When?"

Kalec walked up behind her. "Now, would be ideal. It is important that you two are nowhere near the citadel when we launch our final assault."

"What about the anima in our blood?" Colton glanced up, a look of concern on his face.

Kalec shook his head. "No need. Ra-den broke the seal during his rage while attempting to chase me. We are able to access the entirety of the complex, now."

He motioned towards all three. "Come. As a bronze dragon would say, 'time is of the essence'."


	12. Chapter 12

NSFW - Towards the end. It's short, not very in-depth, but still NSFW material.

* * *

A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She stopped writing, continuing to hold the pen at an angle in her hand while she glanced up at her boss walking in.

"Hey Vicky, how's the autopsy report on Jacobs coming along?" Jack flashed her a cheesy grin. She put her pen down and slowly leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms out to rest on her head.

"What do you want, _now_ , Mr. Newman?" She let loose a quick laugh. The only time her boss smiled like that was when he was going to ask for a 'favor'.

Jack laughed, nervously glancing around the office. "I need a big favor…"

 _Called it._

"The morgue on Harrison street needs help. One of their MEs recently died, and the other two quit."

Vicky's eyes widened, her arms slowly falling to the side as she leaned forward.

"Wh..hat?" The word stumbled out of her mouth.

Jack scratched at his elbow, his eyebrows furrowing. "One of the younger girls. Remember reading about that fire up near Lincoln Park? She was a casualty…" He glanced to the wall, still trying to remember what the director at Cook County had said. "Poor girl; nothing but ashes." He glanced back to Vicky. "I hate to ask you this Vicky, but do you think you could fill in for the time being? I know you hate morgue duty, but this is…"

The words faded out. Vicky's mind reeled. How could this have happened? It had to be a mistake.

The sound of steps startled her. She quickly stood, reaching a hand out. "Wait! Jack…what was her name?"

Jack stumbled a bit at the door, shocked by Vicky's sudden reaction. He gave her a curious look. "Started with a T…maybe Tiffany?"

Vicky's gaze fell to the floor, her arm dropping on the desk.

"You mean _Tina_."

Jack's mouth contorted, a look of concern on his face. "Oh Vicky, I'm so sorry. Did you know her?"

She slumped in her chair, grabbing the pen on her desk. A few moments of silence passed, and her gaze fell back to the sheets of paper in front of her.

"Yes, I knew her."

* * *

Dushan laid at the Worgen's feet. The cat's natural aversion to the species would always exist, but the permeating sadness at the loss of his mistress' kin was strong; he felt no threat and knew it was better for the pack to provide comfort.

Tina stood in the doorway with a cup of the regional coffee in her hands. They had arrived in Stormwind a week ago, on boat from the isle of bipedal panda bears. It had, apparently, happened again; Vicky had vanished in the middle of the night on the first day of their voyage.

She glanced at Ely sitting at the large table, diligently tugging at the leather wrappings around his massive bow. A long scar ran down his forearm, and she frowned. Colton had become almost rabid when he woke up to a pile of Vicky's clothes next to him. It had taken three men to hold him down.

 _Can you call an elf a man?_ She shrugged, her thoughts returning to the man-beast in front of her.

 _Vicky's disappearance was shocking, but almost for selfish reasons; Tina realized that she was never going back. She had even felt the portal that night, as crazy as it sounds. However, something deep within her had kept her from opening the door._

 _She stood there, feeling the intense magical pulsations of the portal behind the thick wood. The telltale squeaks of the floor boards echoed lightly from within. Her hand rested on the door latch; all that was needed was downward pressure, and she would be back home._

 _"Your home is to the north, child…"_

"Dalah'delar." Tina yelped, jumping to the side a bit. Her head jerked to the right, and her eyes narrowed on the giant elf next to her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Elyarion laughed. His apathy towards the strange human girl had changed since they left Pandaria. In fact, he surmised it had begun to change well before she had left Feralas. The green yak hair had long been removed, and she wore her hair in its natural state, which stuck out around her head in a curly, full bodied fashion. His eyes caught the sharp tip of something propped up against the wall.

"You need training. You are weak; unfamiliar with your weapon."

He moved towards her spear. Tina's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm pretty sure I know the basics of how to use a spear, I'm not a moron."

His large hand grasped the weapon, holding it out in front of him to assess the weight and length. A slight shimmer rippled down the surface, and he glanced up at Tina, locking eyes with an intense stare.

"This is no spear."

His wrist shifted forward, and metal shot out of the end, shrieking as it rubbed against itself. A greenish glow emanated from where a foot-long, curved blade had formed.

Tina dropped her coffee cup.

* * *

Vicky stared at the storage closet.

She had arrived on Earth at, exactly, the same time and place as before. However, she knew it was no dream. She had looked up Tina in the white pages; someone she had known nothing about before she had first walked through that portal behind the sub shop.

There were two weeks remaining before the second portal would appear in the closet.

Vicky had stayed away from Tina. She put in more hours at work and overperformed, making certain that she would not be demoted this time. However, it appeared that it had no effect, and Tina's existence on the planet was no longer valid; she now belonged to Azeroth.

Vicky rubbed at the bite marks on her neck. It hurt, but the pain was not physical. Her heart ached.

 _She longed to return…_

Her soul still sustained Colton's, and for that, she was relieved. She could feel him; feel his desperation, his anger…his sorrow. He was weak. Vicky stumbled to the side, catching herself on the edge of a table.

 _And so was she._

Her phone began to vibrate. Picking it up, she swiped across the screen to unlock it.

"Mom…" She answered, the distant memory of the conversation that was about to replay itself came tumbling to the forefront of her mind. Not more than five minutes later, she found herself behind the wheel of her car, driving to the nursing home.

Diane was in the entrance, just as before. "I'm sorry, Vicky. We can't seem to get her to calm down."

She didn't want to relive this. It was hell. The words the fell out of her mother's mouth hurt too much; to hear them again, it was torture.

A familiar scene unfolded in front of her. She sighed, tossing her jacket on a wooden chair near the bed. She walked around the edge, seeing her mother's eyes lock with hers. Vicky closed her eyes, biting the inside of her cheek as she waited for the words she knew too well.

"Hello my daughter."

Her eyes shot open, as panic flooded her body. An eerie, unearthly chuckle came from the older woman.

" _What's wrong? Not happy to see your mother?_ "

Her mother blinked, revealing pitch black eyes. A wide smile formed.

" _Your world…it is untainted by the Titans. It is…refreshing."_ Her mother's body made an inhuman twitch. _"Millenia I have prodded at the walls of another dimension, seeking a way inside._ " Black, soulless eyes stared at her. " _And finally, the vessel to my rebirth appeared._ "

Vicky found herself backing away until she felt the hard wall press against her. She dug her nails into the drywall, fear rendering her immobile.

Her mother's body convulsed, and a blackish liquid spewed forth from her mouth, staining the bedspread. Raspy breaths followed as the body continued to twitch.

 _"The portals are too weak to sustain my essence. My control over the invalid creatures of this world is limited."_ Vicky caught the shining glimpse of something outside. It was a portal. Two of the CNs were aimlessly wandering near it, as if lost in a trance.

 _"You…my vessel. You will serve as my retribution. From you, I will free myself and, once again, rule as a God."_

A terrifying, deep laugh came from her mother's body. Vicky immediately ran out the room, and down the hallway, pushing a confused Diane to the side. She slammed the glass door open to the inner courtyard, setting the emergency exit alarm off.

One of the CN's was on the ground, scraping at the back of her ear. She saw the reflection of red blood dripping down her hands. Glass shattered to her right, and her mother's sliced up form come charging towards her; wide, black eyes, glaring with gut-wrenching intensity.

" _You cannot escape me!"_

Vicky began to sprint, but stumbled, falling on the ground. Her body faltered; too weak. She started to crawl, the portal shimmering a few feet in front of her. A malicious laugh resonated from behind her.

" _Ah, yes, the beast leeches off your soul; a parasite, indeed. Fear not, for soon there will be no soul to leech from."_ She felt cold hands latch around her face, and a body press on top of hers. Something cold and wet began to seep through her nostrils and mouth. Tears streamed down her eyes, as she shook uncontrollably.

A loud, ear-piercing scream tore through the courtyard, and the slimy tendrils immediately recoiled.

" _Goldrinn!"_

Vicky turned her head in horror, as she watched her mother's body collapse like a rag doll. An eerie cloud of black shot into the portal. The electrified image began to distort.

 _It was now or never._

She cried out loud as she forced herself to her feet, pain rupturing through her bones. She looked at her mother's dead body, then back at the faltering portal. Mustering all her strength, she managed enough inertia to drag her mother's corpse behind her through the portal. A second later, it was gone.

Diane ran into the courtyard. The smell of sulfur lingered, and she saw a large black patch of burnt grass in the middle. One of her coworkers was lying unconscious on the ground, blood gushing from the side of her head; the other was rocking back and forth, mumbling. Vicky and her mother were gone.

* * *

"Why doesn't it transform?" Tina kept jerking at her non-spear, becoming visibly frustrated.

Elyarion stood next to her, a faint smile spreading across his lips.

"The weapon is magic in nature; it responds only with such. You must focus your thoughts and exert your mana onto it."

Tina glanced up at him. "My what? My man? I don't have a man. Why does it matter what gender you are?"

Dushan's tail twitched to the side. He stuck a paw out, yawning, before placing his head back down on the soft grass. Tina twisted the weapon and planted the handle end on the ground. She leaned up against it, scratching the top of her head.

"You said this wasn't a spear. What is it, then?" She motioned the length of the weapon.

"A glaive." He crossed his arms, lowering his head towards her. "Your home world must be weak and unskilled with war, since common weaponry is unknown to you."

Tina sneered, turning her back to him. "Maybe we're not retards, and have figured out how to engage in conflict without running around, stabbing each other with 'glaives'." She gripped the body of the weapon tightly; a small groan escaping her throat as she tried to concentrate. "And fuck you."

Elyarion sighed, reaching over to place his hand around hers. Tina's body went rigid, her eyes becoming the size of saucers. He leaned in, speaking softly.

"It is magical. You have magic within you, Dalah'delar. Focus." He gently nodded at their intertwined hands.

Tina blinked and began to take in a few deep breaths, releasing them slowly. She focused on her stomach, wrinkles formed on her forehead as she clinched her eyes shut.

"No." She felt a large hand gently grip her chin and slowly lift her head. She found herself gazing into ethereal eyes, not more than a few inches away. Time stood still, the background faded away; the faint smell of woods and musk danced across her senses. She felt something flutter inside her.

 _The shrieking sound of metal echoed in the courtyard._

* * *

"Master Tenvor; come quick!"

His new apprentice waived for him to follow. He carefully put down the vial and followed her out of his chambers. They moved quickly in silence, jetting in and out of the various pathways of the large city. Eventually, he found himself heading into the War Quarter.

"I am going to presume this is of up-most importance to interrupt my studies." It was more of a statement than a question. Ever since losing the human girl, he had been in a sour mood.

"Of course." His new apprentice was not much for conversation; a trait he rather enjoyed. However, at this particular moment, he found it to be irritating.

They descended lower, taking a sharp right towards the prisons. The remaining shreds of his eyebrows raised. _Perhaps another captured Worgen ambush? But why would they summon him?_

He stepped in, seeing a cloaked figure next to a human corpse in one of the cells. A guardsman strolled up from behind a large table.

"Hans Tenvor, thank you for coming so soon. We seem to have a slight _problem_ , at the moment."

Hans shrugged, exposing more of his shoulder blade through the loose tunic. "What seems to be the problem."

A familiar voice sounded from the cell.

"I need you to bring my mother back."

* * *

The human girl was insane.

"No! That is my final answer."

She had dragged in a corpse that was still infected with Yogg-Saron's essence. He knew, because he had had the misfortune of partaking in the joint faction effort to kill that thing in Ulduar. Out of all the things he _never_ wanted to be reminded of again…

He stormed off towards the door. Vicky sprinted forward, using her body to block the exit.

"No, wait, please!" Vicky's arm slid off the frame, and she leaned forward, gasping for air. Hans' glowing eyes narrowed on her. One of his bony hands touched her shoulder.

"My dear, are you okay?" She appeared weak. He saw the bite marks on her neck, and hummed. "Is it your husband's curse?"

Hazel eyes snapped to his, anger beginning to form from behind them. "You know we're married?" The memory of her torture was still prominent, and their treatment of Colton was unforgivable. However, she had found herself in the middle of Brill when she fell from the portal with her mother's corpse. This was her best option at staying alive, as well as bringing her mother back.

Hans chuckled, padding her shoulder. "I have been alive for quite a long time, my dear. Perhaps not as long as the Quel'dorei, but I have seen many things. I also have many eyes and ears in this world." He winked at her, once again, splitting the eyelid. A bony finger appeared, attempting to move it back into place.

Vicky laughed, regaining her strength and straightening herself. She glanced at her mother's corpse on the table. "Are you sure nothing can be done for my mom?"

Hans sighed. Being an undead had brought a different perspective to things. Life was no longer as precious as it had been when he bolstered a human existence in the grand courts of Lordaeron. His kind were the survivors and outcasts; the unwanted of civilization. Their collective goal was to continue to survive and etch their rightful place on Azeroth. The coldness of their blood reflected in their demeanor; kindness was not logical, nor was it needed. However, he still felt a shred of sympathy for the outsider next to him.

He scratched the tip of his chin bone. He wondered; would an undead version of the other worldly human possess the same attributes? Would it even work on a creature not accustomed to the magical energies of Azeroth? Would a soul from another dimension possibly find its way back to its body? He turned to towards Vicky.

"Yes, I believe something can be done, but we will need to move fast before the body decomposes." He glanced at his apprentice. "Maria, bring me some frost lotus and the blue satchel with the scarab on it."

* * *

"A prisoner exchange? Are they mad?!"

The counselor snarled at Shaw; the tips of his fangs showing. Shaw sighed, turning from the Worgen and stepping towards the window. His hands were grasped behind his back. In the distance, a small glint of metal sparkled in the dim evening light, and he softly nodded his head.

"Forsaken are anything but mad, Counselor. We accepted their terms. Emerson Zamtides was released from the Stockades."

Bradon slammed his fists on the wooden table. The sounds of heavy breathing followed, as he tried to control his fury. It had taken years to finally capture the shadow priest. He glanced up at Shaw, whose back was still turned.

"And who, may I ask, is worth such a high value target?"

Shaw turned, walking towards one of the torches on the wall. He picked up some striking sticks, and in a few moments, the torch was alight. He motioned towards some parchment on a side table to his right.

"She is more valuable to us alive, and in _our_ hands, than the Forsaken's."

Bradon walked to the table, hunching over to lead the tiny print on the parchment. His eyes danced back and forth, before his head snapped up. A low growl emanated from his chest.

"I do not approve. This was not sanctioned by his Royal Highness. The exchange was not equal…how many Alliance will now die at the hands of Zamtides?" He motioned at the parchment. "And for what? A useless foreigner, that has been much more trouble than she's worth."

"Enough!" A dark, feminine voice echoed off the walls of the large room. Both males turned their heads to the figure in the doorway. Red eyes appeared, and a woman stepped out from the shadows.

Shaw gave a small bow. "Lady Atherton."

"The value of your son should not be so easily dismissed." A deathly silence followed, and she slowly made her way towards the large Worgen. "Regardless, she now has ties to our enemy; ones that may prove infallible in the future."

Shaw turned his head back towards the Counselor. "They resurrected her mother as a Forsaken. Royal Apothecarist Tenvor _personally_ saw to Vicky's release." Shaw reached to the side table, opening a small drawer underneath the top. A few more pieces of parchment appeared.

"Also, it appears that Yogg-Saron has been quite busy while dead." He spread out one of the pages, pointing towards a symbol. "This is the same marking reported in Silvermoon, as well as what we found from the local fisherman that washed up onshore, three weeks ago."

Loud steps followed up the stairwell outside of the room. "Shaw!"

Vicky stumbled into the room, breathing heavy. She had spent the last two hours stuck in shackles on a public bridge, in some sort of 'ceremonious' prisoner exchange, while hundreds of people stared.

 _It was bullshit._

She put her hands on her knees, attempting to catch her breath. "I'm…fi…ling…a…com…plaint…" It took a few moments, but she finally managed to catch her breath. Glancing up, a wave of relief washed over her.

"Oh, Gillian! _Thank god_. Have you seen Colton?" She skipped a few steps forward, reaching out to grasp Gillian's outstretched hands. The older woman gave hers a squeeze.

"He is with your friends, near Goldshire, on a small hunting expedition. Do not fret, we will send for them." She released one of her hands to nick Vicky's chin. "Now, come with me, child. You must be exhausted." She stepped back, giving Vicky a once-over of her torn and dirty work clothes. A disapproving expression crossed her face. "We'll…also, find some _appropriate_ garments." Gillian began to head towards the door, still holding Vicky's hand. A large palm fell on Vicky's shoulder, and she felt a hard yank back.

"What do you think you're doing? She still needs to be interrogated." Vicky turned her head to the side, taking in the large Worgen to her right. Her gaze fell back to the palm on her shoulder.

Gillian's eyes started to show a red haze, and Vicky felt warmth radiating from the woman's palm. The pressure of the Worgen's hand disappeared from her shoulder. Vicky glanced to Shaw; worried.

"Vicky, we will need a detailed account of you time with Hans, as well as what happened during your disappearance on Azeroth. Would you be willing to come back tomorrow morning?" She gave an exhausted smile and nodded 'yes'.

"She was in Draenor?" Vicky looked up at the overbearing Worgen, who appeared to be lost in translation. He kept staring at Colton's mom. A few seconds of awkwardness passed, and she felt a yank pulling her towards the exit. The two women left the room, leaving Counselor Atherton in confusion.

* * *

Connie rotated her hands back and forth, observing the white, dead look of her skin. She blinked, feeling nothing. She glanced out the broken window, catching a glimpse of a ghostly Valkyrie, walking among the gravestones.

It had been painful. She had awoken, confused, surrounded by a mound of dirt. A zombie-like man greeted her, ushering her down the hill and to the location where she now sat. The charm around her wrist reflected some of the candle light. More memories surfaced, and she sighed, trying to come to terms with what had happened.

Her previous life had become increasingly scattered, and she barely remembered much. An image of her daughter flashed in her mind, and she sighed in regret.

"To be granted life anew is nothing short of a miracle. It causes slight consternation on my part to hear such sorrowful disapproval."

Connie's eyes snapped towards the entrance-way of the room. A decrepit man hovered just outside the frame; white, glowing eyes illuminating the sickly skin on his face. She saw the tip of a protruding chin bone. The sight made her cringe, and she instinctively placed her fingers on her lips, noting the odd sensation of their eerie thinness.

A low chuckle emanated from the corpse-like man.

"It will take some time to adjust to, my dear." He placed his bony hands behind his back, and took a few steps into the room. He was adorned in a silk-looking robe, laden with some extravagant stitching around the edges. However, the torn parts around the elbows made the piece look centuries old.

 _Maybe it was?_

He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes as he glanced over her face. "Your rebirth appears to have went rather well. You maintained a decent portion of your body fat. This may be due to the freshness of your corpse, of course." He grinned, showing a mouthful of teeth.

Connie's face distorted into a full blown panicked expression. She went to jump out of the chair, her only goal being an escape from her current nightmare. Bony hands gently held her back, encouraging her to resume her sitting posture.

"Calm down, my dear. Calm down…" She felt him squeeze her shoulder blade. He pulled a chair in front of hers and sat down, grasping her hands as an attempted means of easing her fear. He laid their hands on his knee caps, still loosely holding hers.

Connie blinked, out of habit. She did not feel the need to; in fact, her eyes had no feeling whatsoever. Her gaze settled on the corpse-man in front of her.

"Where is my daughter?"

She felt him squeeze her hands. "I sent her back to Stormwind. Of course, we negotiated the release of one of our own, but overall, I felt it to be the least I could do in return for her gift to us."

The remnants of Connie's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "Gift?"

The large, toothy grin reappeared. "Why, you, my dear. A traveler from another world, with unknown qualities and talents. Oh, what I cannot wait to learn." The blue and white glowing eyes burned a little fiercer, signifying his excitement.

Her mouth hung open, and she felt the urge to cry…except, no tears formed. She lifted her one hand, sticking a finger into her eye socket. She felt nothing but empty space.

"Your sight remains, one of the few benefits of the malignant magics used when the scourge first spread across Azeroth. When we managed to regain our minds, we were fortunate enough to keep our sight, as well."

Connie was on the brink of a breakdown. She let her head drop, and released a dry, choked version of a sob. She felt a cold arm wrap around her shoulder blades, and she reached out, holding onto some of the worn fabric of his robe, laying her dead cheek on its side, as she allowed him to hold her like a weeping child.

* * *

"You seem to be getting back to your smarmy self." Tina was balanced on a rock, her left foot stretched out in front of body, as she cautiously tried to step onto the next slippery stone. They were waiting for Ely to finish skinning the local wildlife, because he's a weirdo, and Tina took it upon herself to become a 5-year-old again, jumping on rocks in a stream.

Colton smirked, eventually looking off into the distance at the scenic forest around them. During the past few months, he had been nearly unable to stand without collapsing from exhaustion. Then, one morning, roughly three weeks ago, he woke up refreshed and alive…and literally jumped out of bed.

 _Which meant that she was still alive._

His thoughts fell back to that night on their return trip from Pandaria…

 _He had spent the evening, with Kalec, going over details of the group's recent dealings with the forgotten Titan guardian. Eventually, a yawn escaped, and he bid the blue dragon a good night, heading off to his cabin. Stepping into the small room, he found Vicky fast asleep, sprawled across the one bed, which was barely large enough for two gnomes. He wearily sighed, grabbing a small blanket on a chest at the foot of the bed, and languidly stepped over to a wooden chair._

 _The chair creaked, and he spread out the blanket over him the best he could. His head slowly swung towards his wife, who was contentedly snoring on the bed. They had never spoken in depth about their marriage, expectations, or any of those subjects. In fact, they had never really discussed their relationship, in general. While they had physically slept in the same bed, many times, nothing had ever come of it. He had begun to feel as though it may have been too presumptuous on his part; she appeared to have little, to no, interest._

 _But the beast begged to differ. It could always smell her, and it could smell…_ _ **that**_ _._

 _He shook his head, turning it to the other side and letting his eyelids close. He would rest for an hour, then return to the deck and speak more with Kalec. The hypnotic knocking of the waves lulled him into a light sleep._

 _His eyes shot open. He felt hands tugging on his shirt. A sweet voice softly whispered._

 _"Come to bed."_

 _She tugged at him again, and he found himself following her back to the tiny bed, shedding his boots along the way. She waited until he settled, then immediately snuggled next to him; half her body hanging over his. His warmth was comforting, and she absent mindedly started running her hands over the exposed skin from his partially lifted shirt._

 _A low growl rumbled from his chest, and a wicked smile formed on her lips._

 _The next thing he remembered was her straddling his hips, her hands gripping his hair as he held her in place, thrusting into her at a steady pace. Sweat poured down both of their faces. His head lowered into the crook of her neck; his teeth eagerly craving to latch onto the delicate skin._

 _Her walls tightened around him, and her moans became louder. He felt the beast stir inside, quickly forcing its way to the surface; unbound and uncontrolled. He panicked, trying to push her away before it happened. Vicky misunderstood, tightening her legs around him in response. She closed her eyes, relishing in the exquisite feeling of him inside her._

 _Something wet brushed across the bottom half of her body, and she opened her eyes, immediately seeing the grotesque sight of skin stretching in the dim light. Horror crossed her face, as a pressure grew inside her. Pleasure quickly turned into pain, and she whimpered, her nails digging into the thick fur on his arms; her eyes wide with panic._

 _It was over as quickly as it had happened. She found herself on the bed, shaking in his arms; a small smear of blood in between her thighs. He held her tight, draining the last bit of his mana in her before he lost consciousness._

"Whoa!"

 ** _Splash_**

Tina slipped, falling on her ass into the stream. She yelped. "Holyshit! That's cold!" She jumped up, stepping onto the small bank, looking behind her at her soaked pants.

As soon as her head turned around, she saw a large stack of bloody wolf skins plop down in front of her. She glanced up; Elyarion had one eyebrow raised while he stared at her pants.

"Don't…say…anything."

The elf tossed his bag on the ground, kneeling in front of it to rummage through its contents. A dull knife appeared, followed by a small satchel. He looked up at Tina.

"You need to have some basic skills, if you want to survive in this world."

Tina scoffed. "I seem to have done fine, so far." She glanced at the bloody carcass skins. "So what's going on here, Buffalo Bill?"

He tilted his head. "I will presume that was intended to be a slight." He stretched out the dull knife towards her. "Since your pants are already wet, go ahead and start scraping these skins completely clean, using the stream water. All residual tissues and fat will need to be removed before we apply salts."

An expression of absolute disgust was on Tina's face; her mouth widely hung open. He pressed the handle of the knife in her palm, then pushed a small leather scrap in her other hand. Tina stumbled a little towards the bank, falling on her knees in front of the stream, still a little shocked.

A few minutes later, he heard:

"Oh my fucking God, _so gross…"_


End file.
